Pentagon chief skips crucial Ukraine support meeting
Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon, will not attend the upcoming meeting of the Ramstein group, a coalition supporting Ukraine since 2022.
Pete Hegseth, head of the Pentagon, will not appear at the upcoming Ramstein group meeting, scheduled for April 11. This group consists of several dozen countries and has been supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression since 2022. This information was reported by the portal Defence News, citing European and American sources.
According to the Military, the meeting on April 11 will be the first that the U.S. Secretary of Defense will miss. Previously, on February 12, Hegseth participated in the group talks, but at that time, the meeting was not led by the U.S. At the United States' request, the United Kingdom led the meeting. This time, the role will be taken over by the United Kingdom and Germany.
Hegseth's absence sends a message to European partners that the administration of President Donald Trump does not place significant importance on the issue of arming Ukraine. During the February meeting, Hegseth urged European ministers to seek greater independence in defense matters, instead of relying solely on the U.S.
The history of the Ramstein group
The Ramstein Group was formed at the initiative of Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, shortly after the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, it has managed to collect and coordinate over $126 billion in aid for Ukraine, about half of which came from the United States.
After Trump's election victory, European participants of the group started planning alternative operational formats. Celeste Wallander, a Pentagon official during Joe Biden's presidency, revealed that it was then decided that Germany and the United Kingdom would take the initiative from the U.S.
