Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is bidding farewell to the forces and personnel he's led through a tumultuous term.

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

But as the day began, the focus was less on Austin than what it means for him to depart. In the last three years, the secretary has convened this Ukraine Defense Contact Group — a gathering of 50 countries supporting Kyiv — 25 times.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. They discussed preparations for the Ramstein meeting and key areas of cooperation, according to Ukraine's Ministry of 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 latest aid package, drawn from existing weapons and equipment stockpiles within the Department of Defense, will provide Kyiv with air defense missiles; air-to-ground munitions; and equipment

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used their final meeting in Germany to press the incoming Trump administration not to give up on Kyiv’s fight.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press ... In response to the invasion, Austin created the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of more than 50 partner nations that have ...

The Biden administration is providing an additional $500 million package in weapons and equipment to Ukraine from its existing military stockpiles, looking to further reinforce Kyiv’s

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bid farewell Friday to the forces and personnel he has led through a tumultuous term that had three major military crises, a global pandemic and a personal brush with cancer that became a flashpoint for the way it was mishandled.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris continued their farewell tour on Thursday, attending the Department of Defense Commander in Chief Farewell Ceremony, offering his thanks to U.S. troops for their service throughout his administration.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer and later complications potentially raised “unnecessary” security risks.