Washington: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not expected to attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which brings together about 51 countries, local media reported Tuesday. His absence would make the United States one of the few countries not sending a top civilian defense official to the meeting of Ukraine's allies.

According to Anadolu Agency, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's top policy official, will instead take part in the virtual session, as he did at the previous meeting in February. This decision was confirmed by two US officials speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, as reported by Politico.

Hegseth has attended the meetings only intermittently over the past year. This pattern reflects the Trump administration's shifting priorities and its view that Europe should assume more responsibility for supplying arms to Kyiv. More than 50 defense ministers from countries backing Ukraine are expected to join the virtual meeting on Wednesday.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and UK Defense Secretary John Healey will chair the session. They assumed responsibility for coordinating the group when the Trump administration stepped back from the leadership role shortly after taking office. NATO's top military commander, US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, will not attend, but his deputy, UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Johnny Stringer, along with German Maj. Gen. Ulf H¤ussler, deputy commander of NATO's Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine mission, will participate online.