Hegseth to Miss Ukraine-NATO Council in Addition to 'Ramstein'

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth will not attend the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting, which will take place as part of the meeting of Alliance defence ministers in Brussels, several independent sources have confirmed.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to European Pravda.

Hegseth will attend the ministers' meeting on Thursday, but the United States will be represented at the Ukraine-NATO Council not by the minister, but by Ambassador Matthew Whitaker.

As The Gaze reported earlier, for the first time since the launch of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein Meeting) in 2022, the U.S. Secretary of Defense will not participate in its upcoming session. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will skip today's high-level meeting of over 50 allied and partner defense ministers at NATO headquarters.

The Pentagon confirmed Hegseth's absence, citing scheduling conflicts, with press secretary Kingsley Wilson noting, ‘Secretary Hegseth's travel schedule precluded attendance at tomorrow's Ramstein meeting. The United States remains focused on securing a swift end to the war in Ukraine under conditions that ensure lasting peace.’