Washington (USA), June 4 (LaPresse/AP) – For the first time since the United States created an international group to coordinate military aid to Ukraine three years ago, the head of the Pentagon will not attend the NATO defense ministers' meeting. The summit will take place in Brussels, and Hegseth, who returned Sunday from a national security conference in Singapore, will not arrive in the Belgian capital until Wednesday evening, after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting has ended. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss scheduling details, confirmed that Hegseth will not participate even via videoconference. Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, created the group after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, more than 50 member countries have collectively provided Ukraine with approximately $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, with over $66.5 billion coming from the United States. Under Austin’s leadership, the U.S. chaired the group, and Austin regularly participated in the monthly meetings both in person and via video.
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