First, Pentagon chief to skip UCDG meeting – media

This was reported by Defense News, citing informed sources in the US and the Era, according to information from Ukrinform.

It is specified that the meeting of the Group will take place in Brussels (Belgium) on April 11 under the joint chairmanship of Germany and Great Britain.

Hegseth attended the previous, 27th Ramstein meeting in February. However, he was the first US defense secretary not to chair the event.

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According to the American source, Hegseth will not attend the Group meeting in person and is not expected to participate in the event via video conference.

The Pentagon also likely won't send the high-profile officials who typically accompany the defense secretary on such trips.

The American interlocutor noted that the United States continues to assess how its officials will be involved in various formats of support for Ukraine, including those that help manage security assistance and training for the country's military specialists.

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As reported by Ukrinform, at the end of March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated at a briefing that, within the framework of the summit of the Coalition of participating countries in France, Ukraine had agreed with its partners on additional defense packages that would be announced during the CSTO meeting in April.