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US Defense Secretary Hegseth to attend key meeting on Ukraine only virtually
CNN ^ | April 11, 2025 | Lauren Kent

Posted on 04/11/2025 3:32:10 AM PDT by McGruff

Ukraine’s key allies are meeting in Brussels on Friday with a noticeable absence at the table: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is only attending virtually.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was created by former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration, is a group of roughly 50 nations that meet regularly to discuss bolstering military support for Ukraine.

It will mark the first time a US defense secretary has not attended the meeting in person since the group was established in 2022 just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which comes amid a series of policy shifts by the Trump administration seen as moving closer to Moscow.

Top Trump official Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Friday for negotiations with Russia, according to the Kremlin.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Ukraine; War
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 04/11/2025 3:32:10 AM PDT by McGruff
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To: McGruff

Hegseth, who is only attending virtually.

and he problem is?


2 posted on 04/11/2025 3:42:37 AM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. )
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To: Chode
The man has a 24/7 job, here, fixing our fubarabar [and beyond all recognition] DOD that worked hand in glove with the idiot and their deepstate enablers who made the Ukraine mess in the first place. Remember, as the NY Times article even said - this was about breaking up Russia to steal their assets. It was an old decaying corrupt incompetent culture. One push and it would shatter.

I don't want my SecDef anywhere near that place. If the Euros have something to say they can call him though I don't support him dealing with Europe on my dime either.

3 posted on 04/11/2025 3:52:11 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: McGruff

Wasn’t Pete threatened with death by Ukraine?


4 posted on 04/11/2025 3:56:52 AM PDT by vivenne (7Come to think of it. )
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To: everyone

Hegseth should notify them there is no path to victory in Ukraine and to prepare to accept what ever peace plan Russia agrees to.


5 posted on 04/11/2025 3:58:40 AM PDT by McGruff (Biden will go down in history as the worst president ever.)
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To: McGruff
Whats “key” about it?
Good thing Hegseth is not going or Zellensky would make propaganda noise about it.
6 posted on 04/11/2025 4:01:44 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
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To: McGruff

Maybe if he shows up as a fully armed drone and hovers over his seat at the head of the table, our allies will listen to what his virtual presence has to say.


7 posted on 04/11/2025 4:05:28 AM PDT by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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To: McGruff

“The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was created by former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration... “

Then un-create it. Should be easy enough.


8 posted on 04/11/2025 4:20:07 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam (It's hard not to celebrate the fall of bad people. - Bongino)
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To: Chode

Sounds about right for 50 countries put together by Austin, while Trump’s envoy meets with Putin on the very same day.


9 posted on 04/11/2025 4:38:27 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: McGruff

He has better things to do than travel to hang with a bunch of ineffectual blowhards...with today’s technologies - it’s a waste for folks to travel to a lot of these meetings...


10 posted on 04/11/2025 5:10:07 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: 9YearLurker

*


11 posted on 04/11/2025 5:18:27 AM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. )
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To: McGruff

The Euros are at Step One, beginning to notice there is a thing going on at the Russia Ukraine border.

We have let them know that we have other things to do.

They can work it out.


12 posted on 04/11/2025 5:19:25 AM PDT by lurk (u)
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To: McGruff
Meanwhile, with an English translation of the headline...

More than 20 billion euros in new contributions to support Ukraine Ukraine's allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros in new military support, the results of a meeting in Brussels this morning, attended by representatives of around 50 countries.

13 posted on 04/11/2025 5:42:32 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: AndyJackson

“The man has a 24/7 job, here, fixing our fubarabar [and beyond all recognition] DOD”

Agree - he’s trying to figure out if we have any tanks and air defense systems left, given what we sent to Ukraine. And when he doesn’t find any, he’s going to be forced to beg to Congress to build new ones.


14 posted on 04/11/2025 5:59:30 AM PDT by BobL
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To: McGruff

Actually, all the Europeans will talk about is sending troops there to officially kick off WW3, and Pete will want nothing to do with it - so much easier to be virtual, perhaps with some ‘technical glitches’.


15 posted on 04/11/2025 6:01:28 AM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
Truth. There are few service age men available in Ukraine. One would hope that a good number of young guys made it out to Poland or Krautland or somewhere else for a long life, but the casualty numbers are what they are.

Starmer seems to be blustering about sending troops and uncertain, but especially Macron seems to be for real about sending Frog troops into WWIII.

Hegseth has no interest in either of them or their bullsht.

16 posted on 04/11/2025 6:09:46 AM PDT by OKSooner (Oh, the mad fools!)
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To: McGruff

I had to look twice at who posted this (you know who I mean).

We need a category ‘enemy’ or ‘propaganda’ ‘surveillance’.

cnn will never change. Our enemies remain hard at work, and they’re regrouping.


17 posted on 04/11/2025 6:50:20 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: McGruff
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was created by former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration

I'd prefer they just cancel the group.

18 posted on 04/11/2025 6:52:08 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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