German Defense Minister Pistorius Heads to Washington for Talks on Ukraine

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is heading to Washington for high-stakes talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeking clarity on the future of American arms supplies to Ukraine, missile deployments in Europe, and the broader U.S. military posture on the continent.

The Gaze reports this, refererring to Reuters.

At the center of discussions is Germany’s proposal to purchase additional U.S.-made Patriot missile systems for delivery to Ukraine – an offer Chancellor Friedrich Merz made public last month after receiving no formal response from Washington in private. 

President Trump on Sunday announced that the United States would indeed send Patriot systems to Ukraine, with reimbursement to come from the European Union. 

Germany has already transferred three of its own Patriot units to Ukraine but, according to Pistorius, cannot spare any more. 

In an interview with The Financial Times, he said only six systems remain in Germany, with others stationed in Poland or under maintenance, too few to meet NATO readiness standards.

“It's really too little, especially considering the NATO goals that we have to achieve. We certainly can’t deliver more to Ukraine,” Pistorius added.

The German defence chief will also press for answers regarding a key bilateral agreement from the Biden era: the planned temporary deployment of long-range U.S. missile systems, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and the hypersonic “Dark Eagle,” to German territory beginning in 2026. 

Meanwhile, a major concern in Berlin and across Europe is the ongoing Pentagon review of troop levels. With roughly 80,000 U.S. service members stationed across Europe, half of them in Germany, any significant reduction could have serious implications for NATO deterrence and operational readiness. 

European officials are urging Washington to ensure that any drawdowns are carefully coordinated to avoid exposing the eastern flank to Russian provocations.

Pistorius arrives in Washington at a time when Germany is dramatically ramping up its own defense capabilities. Berlin has suspended its constitutional debt brake to meet NATO’s new benchmark of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2029. 

This will raise Germany’s military budget from €95 billion in 2025 to an expected €162 billion by the end of the decade, reinforcing its role as Europe’s principal security actor.

As The Gaze reported earlier, on July 10, Germany confirmed its readiness to purchase additional Patriot air defense systems from the United States in order to deliver them to Ukraine.