– We didn't do it! – said the head of the Pentagon before the legislators on the last day of multi -day interrogations at the Capitol. Members of the Armed Forces Committee of the House of Representatives pressed him on recent reports that last month the American Cybernetic Command briefly suspended offensive operations against Russia. It was supposed to be negotiating tactics.
Not only democratic legislators did not believe the former presenter of Fox News. Their republican colleagues also did not seem very satisfied with the speech of HegeSeth – Especially when he tried to avoid answering questions about Ukraine, Russia, NATO defense and other key topics.
– Russia must be stopped! – said Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, who presided over the panel. – Do not make a mistake, Russia's victory in Ukraine would also be the victory of China, North Korea and Iran. We cannot allow it – he added.
Rogers emphasized that the threats to the national security of the United States “have never been so urgent and complex.”
– Opponents such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are still expanding their military power. They no longer work alone – he said. – These countries build strategic alliances and support each other with the help of drones, ammunition, satellite technology and energy supply, we see it clearly on the example of Ukraine – he added.
Last month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that China, North Korea and Iran cooperate with Russia in the war against Ukraine. In his opinion, they do this in exchange for Russian help in strengthening their military potential.
Putin plays delay
Republican Congressmen Joe Wilson asked HegeSon about the attitude of Russian President Putin, who, as he put it, “He rejected Trump's proposal to end the war”.
“Every time President Trump tries to alleviate the conflict, the war criminal Putin intensifies mass murders with drones and rocket attacks on the population and civilians of Ukraine – this week to hospitals,” argued Wilson.
HegeSeth tried to downplay the fact that Putin ignored Trump. He referred to the well -known line of the White House, according to which the Kremlin leader did not invade Ukraine again during Trump's first term. Wilson replied that if the Russian dictator “really appreciated what President Trump tried, he would not invade – regardless of whether Biden was the president or not.”
Trump looks carefully at Greenland and Panama
The head of the Pentagon was then flooded with the questions of Democrats from the panel, starting from Adam Smith, who pressed him in the case of Greenland and Panama.
HegeSeth did not rule out the possibility of future military invasion in the territory of the Arctic and Central America, suggesting that the Pentagon may have such plans.
This answer was caused by Smith's mocking comment. “I don't think the Americans vote for President Trump because they hoped that we would invade Greenland,” he said.
He then pressed the Republican Congresmen Mike Turner on HegeStha. – Is this not your today's testimony that Pentagon has plans to take a strength or invasion of Greenland? He asked.
HegeSeth only repeated that Pentagon “has plans for any possibilities”.
The Democratic Congressmen Salud Carbajal also sharply criticized the head of Pentagon. He stated that he was ashamed of him and demanded his resignation in connection with a number of issues, including his views on Russia's war in Ukraine. – I called you to resign. I did not think that you had appropriate qualifications before approval for the position of the Secretary of Defense. You did nothing that would inspire confidence in your leadership competences – said Carbajal.
