Hegseth's absence at Ramstein signals shift in US policy
Pete Hegseth, head of the Pentagon, will not attend the upcoming meeting of the Ramstein group—a coalition supporting Ukraine since 2022.
Pete Hegseth will not appear at the upcoming Ramstein group meeting, scheduled for April 11. This group, consisting of several dozen countries, has been supporting Ukraine in response to Russian aggression since 2022. This information was reported by the portal Defence News, citing European and American sources.
As reported by the Military, the April 11 meeting will be the first at which the U.S. Secretary of Defense will be absent. Previously, on February 12, Hegseth participated in the group talks; however, even then, the meeting was not led by the U.S. At the request of the United States, the United Kingdom took the lead in that meeting. This time, the United Kingdom and Germany will assume the leadership roles.
Hegseth's absence is a signal to European partners that the administration of President Donald Trump does not place significant importance on the issue of arming Ukraine. During the February meeting, Hegseth encouraged European ministers to take greater responsibility for their defence matters, rather than relying on the U.S.
The history of the Ramstein group
The Ramstein group was formed at the initiative of Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, shortly after the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, it has successfully coordinated over $126 (CAD 178) billion in aid for Ukraine, about half of which came from the United States.
Following Trump's election victory, European participants in the group began planning alternative operational formats. Celeste Wallander, a Pentagon official during Joe Biden's presidency, revealed that it was decided Germany and the United Kingdom would take the initiative from the U.S.
