Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will miss Wednesday's gathering of 50 defense ministers coordinating military aid for Ukraine. The absence marks the first time since 2022 that America's top defense official has skipped the meeting the US originally created.
Over 50 defense ministers gather in Brussels next week amid uncertainty over American military support for Ukraine, while Britain steps into Washington's traditional leadership role.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth for the role of Pentagon chief spoke barely about Russo-Ukrainian war, raising concerns about the future of US military assistance to Ukraine. However, he emphasized that "we want this to be as beneficial as possible for Ukrainians, but this war needs to end."