A top Kremlin official, Kirill Dmitriev, sparked controversy by celebrating Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's choice of a red, white, and blue striped tie during peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. Dmitriev suggested the tie was a coded message of support for Russia, posting a Russian flag emoji and referencing conspiracy theories on social media. The incident comes amid tense negotiations over military aid to Ukraine, with former President Trump backing away from sending long-range missiles after a call with Vladimir Putin. Russian officials, including Dmitriev and Dmitry Medvedev, mocked the White House's decisions online, fueling criticism that the administration is yielding to Moscow's pressure. Trump has announced plans to meet both Putin and Zelensky separately in an effort to broker peace, emphasizing the difficulty of direct talks between the two leaders.