For the first time since the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was created by the United States, the Pentagon chief will skip the group’s meeting, which will have over 50 other defense leaders in attendance.
On Tuesday, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said that Hegseth was going to travel to Belgium and France this week to take part in the NATO defense ministers' meeting and events commemorating D-Day, but no mention was made of whether the Pentagon chief was planning to attend the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which will be held on June 4 at the NATO headquarters.