Trump to attend Hegseth meeting with top US generals – WP

American president Donald Trump decided that he would attend a last-minute global gathering of top U.S. generals convened by order of the country's defense minister Pete Hegseth, reported the Washington Post with reference to the relevant document.

Trump's emergence not only overshadows Hughes's plans, but also adds new security concerns to this large-scale and almost unprecedented military event, the media notes.

"We have confirmation from the White House that the president of the US is now attending the speech on Tuesday [September 30]," reads the document sent on September 27, which was seen by WP.

According to him, a message was sent to Pentagon departments that Trump's participation would "significantly change the security level" of the speech.

The participation of the US president will put the responsibility for ensuring the security of the event on the US Secret Service, the newspaper notes.

According to media estimates, the cost of flights, accommodation, and transportation for all the military leaders (some of whom will come from the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific) will be millions of dollars.

The event also raised security concerns, as all senior leaders would be gathered in one place, especially since September 30 is the last day of the fiscal year and if the government will stop working due to lack of funding – this could leave key military personnel cut off from their units.

The White House did not respond to WP's request for comment on Trump's trip.

• on September 25, WP, citing its interlocutors, reported that Hegseth in urgently ordered hundreds of generals and admirals of the American army to gather.
• Unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters that the event would focus on discussing the need to maintain "warrior spirit." Others said the event, which is expected to last about an hour, could also touch on other areas.