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Pete Hegseth at the centre of new controversy: wife invited to sensitive military meetings

The US Defence Secretary brought his wife to classified military meetings, raising questions about access to sensitive information. Among the topics discussed were support for Ukraine and future transatlantic collaborations

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is once again at the centre of controversy. After the chatgate linked to the sharing of military details via Signal, new controversy surrounds his wife Jennifer Hegseth’s participation in meetings with senior military officials. According to the Wall Street Journal, Jennifer attended two confidential meetings with foreign military counterparts, raising questions about access to sensitive information.

One of the meetings was held on 6 March at the Pentagon, at a sensitive time for the US-UK alliance, shortly after the suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The presence of the secretary’s wife raised concerns, given the confidential nature of the discussions, which included British Defence Secretary John Healey and Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the UK armed forces.

The WSJ also reports that Jennifer Hegseth attended a meeting in Brussels in February at a NATO conference where support strategies for Ukraine were discussed. Although the Pentagon has stated that the secretary can invite anyone to meetings, the presence of his wife and the nature of the information discussed raise questions about possible breaches of security protocols.

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