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Witnesses and lawmakers spar over whether a ceasefire is taking hold in Ukraine
Summary
Pentagon and EUCOM witnesses described negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine but acknowledged the fighting continues; lawmakers challenged assertions that a ceasefire is in place and pressed for clearer, actionable policy.
Katherine Thompson, performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for International and Security Affairs, told the committee the administration is engaged in diplomacy “to get both sides to the table” and that “the contours of a lasting peace are coming into view.”
Members challenged the characterization. Representative Seth Moulton cited recent missile and drone strikes and asked whether the pattern of attacks was consistent with Thompson’s statement that an initial ceasefire is “holding.” Thompson declined to say more in open session and offered to provide additional details in closed session. Representative Moulton and others said the ongoing strikes — which members described as recent attacks that killed civilians — undercut assertions of a broader ceasefire.
General Christopher Cavoli described battlefield dynamics: he said Ukrainian forces had established a salient in the northeastern front and that Russian advances have “petered out” in multiple sectors in recent weeks. Cavoli said Ukraine remained capable of holding and in some places regaining ground and that “I do not see the Ukrainians being in imminent danger of collapse.”
The witnesses and lawmakers also discussed Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGU), a U.S.-led organization that coordinated deliveries of munitions and equipment. Cavoli said SAGU delivered critical supplies for 38 months and that NATO was creating structures to take over much of that mission.
Throughout the hearing, members pressed the administration on objectives: some asked whether the United States should explicitly aim for a Ukrainian military victory; others framed the priority as ending the fighting quickly. Thompson emphasized the administration’s focus on negotiations and described some limited progress on “energy infrastructure” ceasefire talks, but she repeatedly declined to characterize the war as stopped in open session.
Lawmakers also raised concerns about intelligence sharing and a recent administrative pause on some offensive cyber activities, asking whether that pause affected operational security and force protection. Cavoli said specifics about intelligence and cyber posture were matters for closed session but stressed the continued need for sustained intelligence cooperation among allies.
