Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office, Ukraine’s future course is shrouded in uncertainty as Kyiv loses ground to Russia’s far larger military.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Dozens of uniformed officials looked to the head table Thursday morning at the dimly lit officer’s club here. They were staring at Lloyd Austin, America’s secretary of defense, the man who brought them all together. But as the day began, the focus was less on Austin than what it means for him to depart.

Sec. Lloyd Austin Holds Press Briefing After Announcing $500 Million In Aid For Ukraine Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a press briefing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and the announcement of a $500 million aid package that includes F-16 support for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed the situation on the battlefield, Ukraine's defense needs for various types of drones, and strengthening air defense.

Formed in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group has ballooned to 50-plus member nations and has overseen the transfer of $126 billion worth of weapons and equipment, making it one of the largest arms transfers in history.

THE FINAL $500 MILLION? Compared to some previous U.S. aid packages for Ukraine, $500 million is fairly modest. However, it was the best the Pentagon could manage to assemble from existing weapons stocks before the Biden administration ends in eleven days.

Ukraine's Western allies will gather with President Volodymyr Zelensky at a US base in Germany on Thursday in their last such meeting before Donald Trump returns to the White House in less than two weeks.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has departed for Germany to attend the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base, which is his last one before the end of the Biden administration.

The U.S. is set to provide Ukraine an additional $500 million in weapons quickly pulled from its existing stockpiles as the Biden administration works to get Kyiv in a stronger negotiating position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

(TNS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a plea to press on with support for his war effort 11 days before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged a swift end to the fighting.

The Biden administration is set to announce a massive, final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany this week to meet with representatives of about 50 partner nations who have come to Ukraine’s defense since Russia invaded nearly three years ago.