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.

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.

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.