New Pentagon chief Hegseth to attend Ramstein meeting – Politico
New U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will attend the upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein) meeting, scheduled for February 12 at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Politico reported, citing one U.S. defense official and four people familiar with the Pentagon chief's plans.
The meeting will be chaired by UK Defense Minister John Healey.
Sources familiar with the plans of the Pentagon chief revealed that Hegset will travel to Europe next week to participate in the meeting, which focuses on supporting Ukraine.
Traditionally, these meetings have been chaired by the United States, either in person or online.
The 25th Ramstein meeting, held in January 2025, was led by then-U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and took place just days before Donald Trump's return to the White House.
On January 9, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that the 26th Ramstein meeting would take place in February.
The Trump administration has not committed to future military support for Ukraine, and no additional promises from the U.S. are expected at the upcoming meeting, but the United States could potentially lead future Ramstein meetings, Politico reports.
