Agreement with the USA
Pistorius promises Ukraine three HIMARS systems
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
Federal Defense Minister Pistorius is currently in the USA to diligently promote Germany. It's not just about German participation in NATO, but also about Ukraine. At this point, Pistorius announces a small deal.
After a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced in Washington that Germany will buy three HIMARS missile launcher systems from the US. These are to come from the US armed forces and be delivered to Ukraine. The US has previously provided Ukraine with 39 HIMARS systems, of which Russia has reportedly destroyed one and damaged two so far.
In the summer of 2022, in the first year of the war, the USA sent HIMARS rocket launchers and appropriate projectiles to Kiev for the first time. The ammunition delivered at that time had a maximum range of 80 kilometers. Within a few weeks, the Ukrainian army was able to destroy several Russian ammunition depots, command centers and troop gathering points.
In addition to the commitment to Ukraine, Pistorius assured the USA of Germany's willingness to take on more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world. At the same time, he called on the US government not to let up in its joint commitment to Europe. “We will both continue to work together as close partners, as allies and as friends. This is more important than ever in the world and I am confident that we can achieve much together,” Pistorius said.
The day before, the Federal Minister of Defense announced during a tour of a factory owned by the US defense company Boeing that Germany had now ordered weapons and equipment worth 23 billion euros from the USA, including around 60 CH47-F heavy transport helicopters.
Ready for more
Pistorius' trip to the USA and Canada also serves to make Germany's stronger military commitment clear to NATO partners. Before the NATO summit in July in Washington, he wants to correct a critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years. The issue also has a larger political dimension: in the event of Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, this can be understood as dicey. Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany sharply.
Pistorius assured that Germany was ready to make “more contributions to a fair transatlantic burden-sharing.” He mentioned the achievement of NATO's two percent target, the ongoing deployment of a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania and the air defense initiative in Europe initiated by Germany.
