U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth to participate in Ramstein meeting via video call

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will participate in the next meeting of countries that will meet to support Ukraine's self-defense (the Ramstein format) via video call, Defense News reports.

Earlier, a number of American and European officials expressed doubts that Hegseth would join the meeting.

Hegseth, like the Trump administration as a whole, has made arming Ukraine a lower priority while in office. He went to the group’s last meeting in February, but allowed Britain to chair it, the first time a U.S. secretary ceded that role

While there, he urged Europe to take control of its own self-defense while previewing a less active role for America in protecting the continent.

The upcoming meeting will occur Friday in Brussels, chaired by Britain and Germany. European and American officials wondered whether Hegseth would join in the weeks prior, with some last week indicating he might skip it.

"Even joining via teleconference is better than passing altogether, multiple European officials said. Still, they would have preferred him to attend in person and broadly remain unsure of America’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and European defense as a whole," the publication reports.

Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the head of European Command, will join the summit in person, though he will do so in his NATO role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Gen Curtis Buzzard, the head of a separate security assistance group for Ukraine, will also attend.