German Defence Minister Announces New €500 Million Aid Package During Visit to Ukraine
On 30th May, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Ukraine. During his visit, he met with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and announced a new military aid package worth €500 million. This package will include IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS air defence system missiles, drones, infantry fighting vehicles, sniper rifles, spare parts for Leopard tanks, wheeled howitzers, and small arms ammunition, as reported by Ukrinform.
Boris Pistorius also revealed that Germany plans to deliver additional Leopard-1 and Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine this year, along with providing maintenance and repair support. In addition, Ukraine will receive new infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems.
"We are ready to provide further assistance to Ukraine. This includes the supply of military materials worth half a billion euros, which will be delivered soon. We are also prepared to continue supplying IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS missiles, as well as drones, which play a significant role in the Black Sea," Boris Pistorius stated.
The German Defence Minister assured that Germany is committed to providing military assistance to Ukraine in the coming years as well.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defence Minister emphasized that increasing the number of air defence systems, updating existing units, and forming new units of the Armed Forces to counter Russian aggression remain priorities.
"I appreciate your initiative and call to all partners to strengthen the Ukrainian air defence system. This is our priority today; we need more air defence systems, missiles, and spare parts to stop Russian terror. Another priority is updating existing and forming new units of the Armed Forces to fight the occupiers on different fronts," Rustem Umerov said, thanking Boris Pistorius for Germany's support.
The Ukrainian Defence Minister also expressed gratitude to Germany for its participation in numerous coalitions supporting Ukraine, including those for armoured vehicles, drones, artillery, and more.
It should be noted that this year's German budget includes €7.1 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Recently, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius requested an additional €3.8 billion, with a decision expected from the German parliament in June.