[["Ramstein" Conference Held Today: US Secretary of Defense Absent for the First Time in Three Years]]
On June 4, the Associated Press reported that US Secretary of Defense will be absent from today's Ukraine Defense International Contact Group conference (i.e., the "Ramstein Model" conference) for the first time in three years. An anonymous US official confirmed that Secretary of Defense Austin would neither attend in person nor participate via video link.
The AP noted that this is the latest move by the US to adopt a "hands-off" strategy in the Ukrainian war. Previously, French President Macron warned that if the West abandons Ukraine due to focus on a potential conflict with China, it will陷入 a dangerous "double standard" dilemma.
Secretary of Defense Austin's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, established this mechanism after the full-scale outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. To date, over 50 member countries have cumulatively provided approximately $126 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with the US contributing $66.5 billion.
During the previous meeting in April, Secretary of Defense Austin also missed the in-person conference and participated only through video. German Defense Minister Borg Pistorius then explained that it was due to a scheduling conflict.
NATO recently announced that the 28th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be held in Brussels on June 4. The UK and Germany will host the meeting at NATO headquarters. The last (27th) meeting was held on April 11, where new military aid plans were announced and a new alliance was formed.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833977575633932/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's viewpoint.