US defence secretary cancels Nato meetings following return to hospital

This is Mr Austin’s second hospital stay due to complications following surgery in December to treat prostate cancer (Kevin Wolf/AP)

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has cancelled his trip to meet with Nato ministers and work on Ukraine military aid in Brussels after he was admitted to hospital while dealing with complications from prostate cancer.

Mr Austin had been scheduled to travel to Brussels on Tuesday to attend a regular meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a gathering of about 50 countries to co-ordinate military aid for Kyiv.