Germany's Defense Minister shares details of Ukraine's air defense support package
Photo: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Getty Images)
Germany’s new defense aid package is primarily aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and is planned for several years, said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after the Ramstein meeting.
He noted that the package includes hundreds of missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which will be delivered during the next four years. Ukraine will also receive additional IRIS-T SLM air defense systems.
Pistorius said that Germany would also finance additional long-range drones to be produced in Ukraine and added that both sides had decided to jointly develop and manufacture medium- and long-range systems.
The minister said that relations between Ukraine and Germany have deepened significantly in recent years. It has now become a mutually beneficial strategic partnership, rather than just military support from Berlin to Kyiv.
At the same time, short-sighted actions of some countries have caused Russia’s income to increase due to the situation in the Middle East, while peace talks have effectively stalled.
Pistorius concluded that the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations were currently on hold and that Russia had never taken them seriously. That's why it's important to continue supporting Ukraine, he added.
Earlier, Pistorius said Germany is strengthening Ukraine’s ability to carry out long-range strikes, made possible by the creation of a new joint venture.
It was also reported on April 14 that Ukraine and Germany had agreed on a large-scale €4 billion defense package, which provides for the delivery of hundreds of interceptor missiles for air defense systems.
In addition, beyond receiving weapons, Kyiv is currently working to change the framework of the Ramstein format itself. The reform is intended to ensure that each participating country clearly understands its specific contributions to Ukraine’s long-term defense capability.
