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.

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.

Outgoing Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has said that even though Russia appears to have the upper hand in its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin is facing a growing number of challenges that will complicate any attempts to consolidate its gains.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Jan. 9 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to discuss U.S. support to Ukraine.

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.

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.

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

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.

The weapons package is funded through presidential drawdown authority, meaning they can be pulled directly from U.S. stockpiles.