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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has cancelled a trip to Brussels where he was set to take part in meetings with other Nato defence ministers, a US official said on Monday, after the Pentagon chief was admitted to a critical care unit and had to transfer his duties to his deputy.
Mr Austin (70) was taken to Walter Reed Military Medical Centre in Maryland on Sunday for “symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue”. Mr Austin had failed to disclose a prostate cancer surgery in December and a subsequent hospitalisation in January to deal with its complications.
Mr Austin was set to depart for the Nato meeting of defence ministers in Brussels taking place on Thursday and a separate meeting with allies on Wednesday on how to continue supporting Ukraine in countering Russia’s invasion.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting on Ukraine's defence needs, known as the Ukraine contact group, would be held virtually.
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It was unclear how long Mr Austin would remain in the hospital, but he has transferred his duties to deputy secretary of defence Kathleen Hicks.
Mr Austin’s secrecy during his hospitalisation in December and January had triggered a political uproar. Republicans accused him of dereliction of duty. US president Joe Biden has said he has confidence in Mr Austin despite what the president agreed was a lapse in judgment.
Earlier this month, Mr Austin apologised for failing to tell Biden and senior staff about his cancer diagnosis ahead of time, adding that the health scare was a “gut punch” that had shaken him.
The most recent hospitalisation was publicly announced soon after he was taken by his security detail.
He is scheduled to testify before Congress on February 29th about the situation. – Rueters
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