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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not expected to attend this week’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which brings together about 51 countries supporting Kyiv, according to local media reports on Tuesday.
His absence would make the United States one of the few participants not sending a top civilian defense official to the gathering of Ukraine’s allies.
According to Politico, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby will instead take part in the virtual session, as he did at the previous meeting in February. The report cited two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Hegseth has attended the meetings only intermittently over the past year, reflecting the Trump administration’s shifting priorities and its position that Europe should assume greater responsibility for arming Ukraine.
More than 50 defense ministers from countries backing Ukraine are expected to join Wednesday’s virtual meeting.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey will chair the session.
The two assumed responsibility for coordinating the group after the Trump administration stepped back from the leadership role shortly after taking office.
NATO’s top military commander, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, will also not attend.
His deputy, U.K. Air Chief Marshal Johnny Stringer, and German Maj. Gen. Ulf Haussler will participate online instead.
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