The US has told Britain it should be leading NATO in Europe after handing the UK the lead of a defence group for Ukraine, reports say.

       Defence Secretary John Healey will lead next week’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting ahead of a NATO summit of defence ministers in Brussels.

       The group, which includes more than 40 allies, was founded under the Biden administration and aims to bolster support for the war-torn nation.

       This will be the first time the UK has led it.

       According to the Times, the British Government has been told by the US that it should be leading NATO on the continent and requested Mr Healey to lead the 26th meeting of the group.

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       The UK’s joint delegation to NATO confirmed Mr Healey would convene the group at the alliance’s headquarters.

       The US has only led the meetings until now, and the Times reports that it is unclear whether the US will chair them in the future or whether a rotating chair will be selected from European countries.

       The Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which was set up in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has worked together to deliver and greatly ramp up the production of weapons.

       American defence secretary Pete Hegseth will reportedly attend next week’s meeting, but the move will likely raise questions about the US’s role in Europe.

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       Donald Trump has been critical of both NATO and the EU, and his arrival in the White House has raised concerns over what it might mean for US support to Ukraine.

       Under Biden, the US delivered more military aid to Ukraine than any other nation.

       Trump has called on NATO allies to increase their defence spending to 5% of GDP.

       The UK Government plans to spend 2.5% of GDP and has said the path to the increase will be set out in the spring.

       Britain currently spends around 2.3% of its GDP on defence, making it one of 23 nations in the 32-member alliance to be hitting the 2% target.