Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the “president is committed to” securing a diplomatic end to the Russia-Ukraine war in response to a question about which side the Trump administration wants to see “win” the conflict.

The secretary, who appeared in front of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Wednesday alongside Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also acknowledged “Russia is the aggressor” in the conflict under questioning from Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

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When asked by the Kentucky senator, who did not vote to confirm him, which party he “want[s] to win,” the conflict, Hegseth responded, “As we’ve said time and time again, this president is committed to peace in that conflict. Ultimately, peace serves our national interests, and we think the interests of both parties, even if that outcome will not be preferable to many in this room and many in our country.”

“Under the previous administration and the policies they pursued, it has driven Russia and China closer together,” he continued. “So there’s no doubt that China would prefer that Vladimir Putin have a good outcome, but it would also prefer a prolonged conflict that would keep us and other countries tied down and incapable of paying attention to the malign influence of China elsewhere.”

The Trump administration has sought to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine but has been unable to come to a lasting agreement. Russian officials continue to hold out for their war aims, which they have not met on the battlefield, to be met via negotiations, which Ukrainian officials continue to refuse. The Ukrainians have agreed to a Trump-backed short-term ceasefire that Moscow declined.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked both Hegseth and Caine whether they believe Russian leader Vladimir Putin would stop his eastern expansion ambitions.

“I don’t believe he is,” Caine said, while Hegseth responded it “remains to be seen,” which incurred a contrasting response from the South Carolina senator.

“Well he says he’s not. You know, this is the [1930s] all over. It doesn’t remain to be seen. He tells everybody around what he wants to do,” Graham responded. “Russia will dismember Ukraine and keep going if we don’t stop them.”

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President Trump’s efforts to end the war have not yielded much yet as he has continued to criticize and defend both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has said there’s a possibility the Russians could be “tapping us along,” but he has avoided directly criticizing Putin.

On Tuesday, the secretary said there would be a “reduction” in the funding for Ukraine aid in the next fiscal year budget, but did not provide specific details.