Austin cancels trip for Ukraine, NATO meetings after hospitalization
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers remarks during a meeting with Kenyan Defense Minister Aden Duale at the Pentagon on February 07, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled a trip to Brussels this week where he was set to attend meetings related to Ukraine’s defense and NATO, after his emergency hospitalization over the weekend. The meeting on Ukraine will instead be held virtually. The Pentagon declined to confirm the status of the NATO meeting. The change of plans comes during a week when Congress is trying to pass a bill for Ukraine aid and days after former President Donald Trump made controversial comments about possibly abandoning NATO allies, should he secure a second term. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday afternoon due to “emergent bladder issues.” The defense secretary has been fighting prostate cancer and recuperating from surgery over the past few months. Doctors said late Sunday night that after undergoing tests and evaluations, Austin was admitted to the critical care unit. …