US Defence Secretary Hegseth to skip NATO-led meeting on Ukraine military support

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth will not be a NATO-led gathering of much than 50 defence ministers successful Brussels connected Wednesday, an absence that will beryllium seen arsenic different motion of Washington pulling backmost from its support for Ukraine against Russia's war.

For nan first clip since nan US created an world group to coordinate subject assistance to Ukraine 3 years agone — pursuing Russia's full-scale penetration successful February 2022 — a Pentagon main will not beryllium coming astatine a gathering of nan defence ministers.

Hegseth's absence from nan gathering of nan NATO Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) was confirmed to Euronews by a spokesperson for nan US Department of Defence, who cited scheduling issues.

The US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker will return his place. Hegseth is group to be Thursday's gathering of NATO defence ministers.

The UDCG was established by Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, and much than 50 personnel nations person collectively provided Ukraine pinch immoderate $126 cardinal (€111bn) successful weapons and subject assistance, including complete $66.5bn (€58bn) from nan US.

However, since US President Donald Trump took agency successful January, location person been nary caller announcements of US subject aliases weapons assistance to Ukraine.

Hegseth turned activity of nan UDCG complete to Germany and nan United Kingdom successful February, and said that Washington would nary longer play a domiciled successful nan monthly meetings.

The NATO defence ministers are expected this week to finalise proposals to summation defence spending from 2% to 5% of GDP, up of nan NATO leaders acme astatine nan extremity of June successful The Hague — pinch Trump is expected to attend.

The US president has called for nan 5% target, a request which has been backed up by NATO main Mark Rutte. However, nary of NATO's 32 members — including nan US — presently deed that level.

The 5% target is expected to beryllium divided into 3.5% of spending straight connected defence, and 1.5% connected "defence-related" aspects specified arsenic cyber warfare and captious infrastructure.

A NATO charismatic told Euronews that "3.5% gives america equivalence pinch nan US".

What mightiness represent "defence-related spending" will person to beryllium worked out, a root acquainted pinch nan rumor said, with some NATO countries pushing for things specified arsenic "military mobility", including road-building, to beryllium considered portion of specified spending.

The timeline of erstwhile countries should meet nan projected 5% target will besides beryllium nether discussion, nan root said.

The planned emergence successful spending is successful consequence to US demands that nan load of Europe's information beryllium handled by nan continent.

Spotlight connected Ukraine

Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine will beryllium 1 of nan main issues astatine nan NATO acme successful The Hague, but it is expected to beryllium very different to past year's arena successful Washington, wherever Ukrainian Volodymyr President Zelenskyy was astatine nan forefront of proceedings and Kyiv's narration pinch Washington was flourishing nether nan Biden administration.

Zelenskyy said this week that Ukraine had been invited to nan NATO summit, but nan quality of his country's attendance remains to beryllium seen, fixed that it is not a member.

Some sources told Euronews that location is wide statement that Zelenskyy should beryllium coming astatine nan summit

“It’ll beryllium a PR disaster if he’s not there," said 1 NATO official, speaking connected information of anonymity.

The Dutch king is expected to induce Zelenskyy to a meal for NATO leaders connected nan opening night, according to different source.

On Monday, a 2nd information of nonstop bid talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine successful conscionable complete 2 weeks made nary advancement towards ending nan conflict, officials said.

The discussions came a time aft a drawstring of astonishing long-range attacks by some sides, pinch Ukraine launching a devastating drone battle connected Russian aerial bases and Russia hurling its largest drone onslaught of nan warfare against Kyiv.

NATO officials told Euronews that they were concerned astir Russian advances, contempt nan Ukrainian army's monolithic attacks connected Russian targets successful caller days.

“It was a changeable of brilliant what Ukraine has achieved complete nan past fewer days," the NATO charismatic said.

“We are each affirmative astir it — they took retired portion of nan capacity to termination children and civilian infrastructure,” nan charismatic added.

But while Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb onslaught connected Russia's bomber fleet is regarded arsenic a awesome setback to Moscow, it does not fundamentally alteration nan business connected nan ground.

More than 100 Ukrainian drones deed strategical Russian aerial bases complete nan weekend, destroying aliases damaging astir a 3rd of nan country's bombers, according to Kyiv.

“It doesn’t alteration nan battlefield — nan difficult battlefield reality is that Russia is making advancement quadrate kilometre by quadrate kilometre,” nan NATO charismatic said.

"And this cognition arsenic awesome arsenic it was, is not stopping nan truth that Russia is moving guardant and Ukraine is going done a very difficult time," nan charismatic told Euronews. "The resounding occurrence of Sunday can’t return distant that fact."