SecDef Hegseth to attend Ramstein meeting next week
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to attend the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein) meeting, scheduled for Feb. 12 in Brussels, Politico reported on Feb. 6, citing informed sources.
Previously, the United Kingdom's permanent representation at NATO HQ announced that UK Defense Secretary John Healey would chair the February meeting. The Contact Group will convene ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers to discuss priorities for Ukraine.
In 2022-2024, the meetings were led by the United States, represented by then-Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. According to the report, Washington may continue chairing the events, although the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is yet to make a firm decision on the matter.
Currently, the Trump administration's stance on this issue is unclear. It is also unknown whether the UK will take on leadership for future Contact Group sessions. According to officials, countries participating in the Ramstein meetings are still negotiating who will permanently lead the group in the future, the report said.
The previous Ramstein meeting took place on Jan. 9 in Germany, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance.
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