U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that despite russia's apparent successes in Ukraine, the kremlin faces a number of serious challenges that will

Even as Russia seems to have the upper hand in its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin faces a growing number of challenges that will complicate any effort to lock in its gains, the outgoing Pentagon chief said.

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.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used their final meeting Thursday to press the incoming Trump administration not to give up on Kyiv’s fight, with Austin warning that to cease military support now “will only invite more aggression,

"There's a thought that Russia has the ultimate hand here and it has every advantage," outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Bloomberg News. "It has some advantages, but it doesn't completely dominate this equation here.

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.

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.

President Joe Biden is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting Russia's economy this week, according to a U.S. official, as part of measures to bolster Kyiv's war effort against Moscow before Donald Trump takes office.

Ukraine's leader says partners sending ground troops would help "force Russia into peace," as America's European allies ponder Trump's next move.

The United States will provide Ukraine with an additional $500 million in weapons and equipment in what’s expected to be the final military aid package under the outgoing Biden administration.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and US Defence Secretary Austin urge the incoming Trump administration to maintain military support for Ukraine to prevent increased aggression. The US pledged $500 million more in aid,

We've come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defense coalitions we've created,' Zelenskyy said.