Report: War Comments by Secretaries Riled Biden

When the secretaries of defense and state publicly said the Biden administration wanted the Ukrainians to win in the conflict with Russia, the president "was not happy," an administration official told NBC News.

During a joint trip to Kyiv in April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the White House wanted Ukraine to win, not simply defend itself, and that the United States' goal was to weaken Russia to the point where another unprovoked invasion would not be possible. Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly supported those comments.