NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded to reports about the absence of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine (in the "Ramstein" format) on Wednesday, indicating that the United States will be present at the meeting, but noting that due to the format of the meeting, it is not always possible for "US officials" to participate, writes UNN.
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"This is Pete Hegseth's second visit to Brussels since he became Secretary of Defense of the United States, which happened in January. He will be here for the second time this year, participating in the meeting tomorrow. The United States will be present today at the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine (UDCG)," Rutte said, commenting that for the first time since the Ramstein format was launched, the US Secretary of Defense is going to miss the contact group meeting and that this speaks to the US commitment to Ukraine.
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The Secretary General stressed that "the US is fully committed to NATO, fully committed to our joint efforts when it comes to Ukraine". "There is no reason to doubt this," he said.
"And regardless of whether someone participates in every meeting, let's not forget that these meetings take place mainly in Europe. Therefore, it will not always be possible for US officials to participate in every meeting," Rutte said.
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