Pentagon chief to skip Ramstein for first time in 3 years - AP
Photo: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
The US Defense Secretary will miss the meeting of the international group coordinating military aid to Ukraine, commonly known as the Ramstein format, for the first time in three years, according to the Associated Press.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who returned from a national security conference in Singapore on Sunday, is expected to arrive in Brussels only on Wednesday evening, after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting has concluded.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Hegseth will not participate, including virtually.
According to the Associated Press, this is the latest in a series of steps taken by the US to distance itself from the war in Ukraine. The move follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s warning that the US and others risk applying dangerous double standards if their focus on a potential conflict with China comes at the expense of support for Ukraine.
Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, established the group following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, over 50 member countries have collectively provided Ukraine with approximately $126 billion in military aid and weapons, including $66.5 billion from the United States.
