New York Times: Trump’s defense minister has virtually abandoned Ukraine’s support team

According to RCO News Agency, when military leaders gathered in Brussels on Friday to talk about sending aid to Kiev, one of them was significantly absent: the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegst.

US President Donald Trump’s defense minister decided to refrain from flying to Brussels Belgium, where leaders of about 9 countries had gathered on Friday to plan the cargo of Kiev as part of the 27th Ukrainian Defense Contact Group. Instead, according to the New York Times, he has been phone from the United States.

The coalition was established by former US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration. This is the first time in the three -year history of the Assembly in which the head of the US Department of Defense has not been physically present. His absence is also in the midst of the obvious change of the Trump administration to the east and approaching the Kremlin and Russia.

Hegest had previously left the British control of meetings in February. British Defense Minister John Haley and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius led the meeting.

According to the Pentagon statements, Hegest has met with the leaders of the country since tenure. He briefly spoke to Ukrainian officials at the January meeting, but it is unclear whether he had spoken or met with any representative of the government or army in Kiev.

The US’s indifferent approach to the Ukrainian war against the British approach is opposed to the British approach. At Friday’s meeting in Brussels, Defense Minister John Haley pledged to assist Ukraine $ 5 million to “put them in the strongest opportunity to provide sustainable peace.”

Ukrainian President Walodimir Zelnsky said on Friday that his country would take action, including Patriot missile systems, which are critical to stopping Russian air strikes. “In the case of additional packages, we want and are ready,” Zelksky said. We want to buy it. We didn’t want the future package for free.

“We will ensure that Ukraine will benefit from our joint military support,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at a News conference after the incident. “Russia must understand that Ukraine is able to continue the war and we will support it.”

The end of the message