Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in the hospital again, but this time without the secrecy. The import of it is that he canceled plans to fly to Brussels on Feb. 14 for this month’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which meeting will now be held virtually, according to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder’s briefing yesterday. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown will also be participating remotely.
Austin transferred his responsibilities to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks when he went to the hospital yesterday with bladder issues, but is expected to resume his duties today.