US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will miss the monthly meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, marking the first time a Pentagon chief has skipped this event in three years. The regular meetings have been crucial for coordinating military aid for Ukraine and are a key component of Western aid to Kyiv.
Hegseth’s absence appears to signal further distancing from the Trump administration’s relationship with Europe and Ukraine. His place at Wednesday’s meeting will be taken by US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal matters. The Defense Department cited scheduling issues for Hegseth’s absence.
The UK and Germany took over leadership of the group in February after Hegseth said the US would no longer participate in monthly meetings established by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Since then, U.K. Defense Minister John Healey and Germany’s defense chief Boris Pistorius have chaired the meetings virtually with Hegseth.
The Trump administration continues to ship weapons and equipment to Ukraine under a $61 billion aid package established by former President Joe Biden. The meeting comes three weeks before NATO’s annual summit in The Netherlands, where leaders will gather on June 24-25, including President Donald Trump, who is expected to command a significant presence.
Hegseth had warned during his first visit to NATO in February that the US military presence in Europe was “not forever.” He also laid down preconditions for Ukraine to meet before entering peace talks with Russia, sparking controversy among European leaders.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/03/hegseth-skip-ukraine-meeting-nato-00384220