US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not attend the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein format) in Brussels on 11 April due to scheduling commitments. A definitive statement regarding Washington's future participation in the Ramstein meetings is expected in the coming weeks.

Source: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in a comment to journalists after the meeting, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent

Details: Pistorius stressed that Hegseth had not come to Brussels due to a busy schedule but made interesting comments via video link.

"Well, in terms of the participation of Pete Hegseth virtually or physically here in Brussels, it's not a matter of priorities. I think it's a matter of schedules. As far as I'm informed, he just came back from a several days lasting trip around the world, more or less," Pistorius said.

"We had some other ministers not taking part today too, because they had other schedule obligations too," he added.

"So the most important fact was that he [Hegseth] took part," the German defence minister said.

"He addressed the auditorium with some, I would say, interesting and correct assessments, considering what Europeans have been doing since the beginning of the year and have done before. And I think this is the most important fact about that," he said.

"And in the future, in the weeks to come, we will see what's going to happen with the US participation, with the US support. I am not able to have a look in the crystal ball. We wait and see," said Pistorius.

He added that other participating states "should better look on our own and to do what we have to do and we can do".

Background:

• Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov stated that the US continues to provide security assistance to Ukraine and stands "alongside us".
• Earlier, media reports suggested that Hegseth would skip the Ramstein-format meeting on support for Ukraine, which was held in Brussels on 11 April under the chairmanship of the United Kingdom and Germany.

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