Ukraine’s future unclear as Pentagon chief holds his final support meeting

On Thursday, President Joe Biden’s Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin, chaired his final meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an assemblage of more than 30 nations providing military aid to Ukraine. It has been a core part of Austin’s record as defense chief during a tumultuous period including Biden’s calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the renewal of major conflict in Europe and the Middle East.

During that time, allied countries have pledged more than $126 billion in military aid, facilitating a surge of tanks, mortars and other arms that has enabled Ukraine’s survival after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion. But as Biden prepares to hand off to President-elect Donald Trump, the course ahead is shrouded in uncertainty as Kyiv struggles to sustain adequate fighters and firepower and steadily loses ground to Russia’s far larger military.

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