During the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as ‘Ramstein’, the United States was represented without the participation of Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth. He mentioned this while speaking with reporters.
This is reported by Kyiv24
U.S. Participation in the Meeting and the Role of Allies
When asked about the reason for his absence at ‘Ramstein’, the U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized that the country was represented by Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. He also noted the active participation of allies: the United Kingdom and Germany took on the role of organizers and played a leading role in coordinating the work of the contact group. Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude to these countries for their initiative.
“From the very beginning of this administration, we have worked with our British and German colleagues to take the lead in this contact group, which they have done, and I appreciate that.”
Details of the ‘Ramstein’ Meeting
The meeting, attended by representatives from 50 countries, took place on June 4 at NATO headquarters. It was organized by the United Kingdom and Germany. Ukraine was represented by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. A notable aspect of this meeting was the absence of the head of the U.S. defense department, which had not occurred before in the history of this format.