Pentagon’s Flag Day Post Sparks Controversy: Is That a Russian Flag?

A Flag Day greeting posted by the Pentagon on X (formerly Twitter) has drawn unexpected scrutiny after users pointed out design elements that seemingly resemble the Russian flag.

The post, intended to honor “the emblem of our nation and the stars and stripes that unite us all,” featured a graphic that some observers say contains red and white stripes positioned against a blue background in a way that evokes the Russian tricolor.

“As we display our nation’s flag and reflect on the values it represents, let’s celebrate the freedom, courage and resilience that makes our country great,” the Pentagon’s original post stated.

Eagle-eyed users noted that the placement of the red and white stripes, with a visible gap between them, creates an unintended resemblance to the Russian flag when the image is enlarged. This perceived resemblance has ignited debate online.

While red, white, and blue are indeed the symbolic colors of the United States and the official colors of the American flag, the specific arrangement in the graphic raised eyebrows, especially when compared to the Pentagon’s Flag Day greetings from previous years, which did not include similar design elements.

The Pentagon has yet to comment on the controversy surrounding the image.