The Defense secretary's absence marks the first time in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group’s history that a Pentagon chief misses the monthly meeting.

In a historic first, Washington’s Pentagon chief will skip a crucial meeting of over 50 military leaders that could shape the course of the Ukraine war.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth won’t be attending Wednesday’s gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group,

In a first for the US, the Pentagon chief will not attend a meeting of the group orchestrating military support to Ukraine, a Washington official told Euronews.