US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will once again skip the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, which underscores a significant shift in Washington's defense priorities towards European allies. Instead, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy chief, will represent the United States at the virtual gathering. Hegseth's sporadic attendance over the past year reflects the Trump administration's evolving defense strategy that places greater emphasis on homeland security and other regions, rather than European defense matters. The meeting will be led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and UK Defense Secretary John Healey, as they assume coordination roles after the US stepped back from leadership earlier this year. The absence of senior NATO leadership, including General Alexus Grynkewich, further illustrates the shifting dynamics. Despite the US reducing its direct involvement, it continues to support Ukraine through intelligence sharing and a new program enabling European allies to purchase US-made arms for Ukraine. However, concerns linger regarding the stability of this support pipeline amidst the Pentagon's resource reallocations.