President Trump's nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy, Elbridge Colby, refused to say that Russia invaded Ukraine during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. This comes after another Defense Department nominee, Stephen Feinberg, also avoided answering the question. The reluctance to acknowledge Russia's invasion comes as the US pauses military aid to Ukraine and shifts its policy toward the war. Colby's core argument is that the US military is overextended and needs to redirect its focus from Europe and the Middle East to Asia to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.