Europe leads Ukraine Contact Group gathering as Hegseth attends virtually
CBSN
The 27th meeting of the roughly 50-country group coordinating aid for Ukraine gathered Friday at NATO headquarters without Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the room. He opted to participate virtually, marking the first in-person gathering without the presence of the U.S. defense secretary.
During the Biden administration, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who created the contact group, hosted a meeting of the group almost every month, alternating between virtual and in-person events.
Hegseth attended the last meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in February, but he turned over leadership of the group to the U.K. In remarks to the group, he said, "Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine."
