Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend this week's Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, with Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby representing the United States, according to Politico.
More than 50 defense ministers are expected to join the virtual meeting, which will be led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey.
Hegseth has attended the meetings intermittently, and Colby also represented the United States at the group's February session.
The Trump administration stepped back from leading the group after taking office, with European partners assuming coordination responsibilities.
NATO leaders emphasized that support for Ukraine continues despite the leadership shift.
"NATO continues to deliver crucial support" to Ukraine, spokesperson Col. Martin O'Donnell said. "The involvement of these two leaders in this meeting ensures it."
The NATO commander, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, will not attend, with his deputy, U.K. Air Chief Marshal Sir Johnny Stringer, and German Maj. Gen. Ulf Häussler joining instead.
The administration has made clear it expects European nations to take on a larger share of responsibility for supplying Ukraine.
That position is reflected in national security and defense strategies that place greater emphasis on homeland defense, the Western Hemisphere and the Asia Pacific region.
The United States has continued to support Ukraine by maintaining shipments of previously approved weapons and sharing battlefield intelligence.
A new program also allows European countries to purchase U.S.-made weapons for transfer to Kyiv through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, which has already put billions of dollars in equipment under contract.
The administration has warned that future U.S. weapons availability could be affected as resources are directed toward the conflict with Iran.
The relationship with European allies has also been tested, including disagreements over the U.S. response to Iran and calls from President Donald Trump for NATO countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, European leaders have held their own meetings to coordinate a response, with no joint plan announced.
European support for Ukraine could also shift following Hungary's election, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban was defeated by Peter Magyar, who has pledged to renew aid for Kyiv.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire Sunday, as Christians gathered to celebrate the holiday despite Moscow's four-year war against its neighbor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.
The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a statement Sunday that it had recorded 2,299 ceasefire violations by 7 a.m., including assaults, shelling and small drone launches.
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