Questions & answers
Pistorius travels to the USA – staying 38,000 soldiers in Germany?
Boris Pistorius flies to Washington to clarify pressing questions with US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth. You can read the most important for Germany here.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) broke up to Washington to advise his counterpart Pete Hegseth about the further support of Ukraine and military cooperation in NATO. It has been his first visit to the United States since the government took office of US President Donald Trump in January.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is also expected today in the capital of the United States. And US President Donald Trump wants to make a pioneering statement on Russia.
Boris Pistorius could create facts with a US visit
A few hours before Pistorius’ departure, there was a foretaste of it. Trump announced that they want to sell patriot weapons systems to European allies so that they can be delivered to Ukraine. “It will be a business for us,” he said. “The EU pays for it. We don’t pay anything, but we will deliver.”
One of the countries that is ready to pay is Germany. It is quite possible that facts will be created when visiting Pistorius in Washington.
Will Germany buy US weapons for Ukraine?
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had already publicly declared Germany’s willingness to buy patriot flight defense systems to the USA for the first time on Thursday at the Ukraine Hunger Conference in Rome and then send them to Ukraine. According to reports, it is about two systems, another is to be financed by Norway. Ukraine has quantified the need for a total of ten systems. The Bundeswehr has so far ceded three patriot systems to Ukraine. In addition, other air defense systems such as Iris-T and the “Pard” anti-aircraft armor were delivered from Germany. The support for a purchase from the USA would now be a new way of support.
Do 38,000 US soldiers stay in Germany?
The support of Ukraine is by no means the only topic of the Washington trip of the Defense Minister. It should also be about the further presence of the 38,000 US soldiers in Germany. During his first term, Trump had planned a drastic reduction in the troop. When visiting Merz in the White House in early June, there was no longer any talk. If Germany wanted the American soldiers, he was ready to do so, Trump assured. “That’s no problem.”
Are the US medium-sized rackets coming to Germany?
On the other hand, it is unclear whether Trump is also ready to capture the stationing of US medium-sized racets in Germany promised by his predecessor Joe Biden. At the NATO summit last year, Biden had granted Tomahawk’s Tomahawk NATO summit with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, which extends far to Russia. In addition, air defense rockets of the SM-6 type and newly developed hyperschall weapons are to be delivered.
What’s next with the F-35 fight jets?
An important armaments project by the Bundeswehr should also play a role in Washington. The Air Force has ordered 35 F-35 fighter jets worth ten billion euros from the US company Lockheed Martin. They are to be delivered from next year and will also be kept for the nuclear deterrence of NATO. This means that in an emergency they would throw off the US atom weapons stored in Germany.
Pistorius is expected in Washington in the late morning (local time), the meeting with Hegseth is planned for 8 p.m. German time. The defense minister will not stay in the United States 24 hours. It goes back to Berlin on Tuesday morning.
Dpa
tiss
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
