U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will not attend today’s NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, which will focus on coordinating military support for Ukraine. This marks the first time in three years that a U.S. defense chief is absent from such a gathering.
The meeting brings together officials from about 50 countries. In recent years, these regular NATO consultations have become a central platform for planning military aid to Kyiv and aligning Western strategies. However, under President Donald Trump’s administration, the United States has stepped back from leading these forums, shifting responsibility to allies like the United Kingdom and Germany.
In Hegseth’s absence, U.S. representation at the meeting will be handled by lower-ranking diplomats and military officials. NATO sources say the United States continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine but now prefers to play a less visible role in public coordination mechanisms.
