Ukraine War: Pistorius negotiates in Washington about Patriot deal

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) arrived in Washington to advise his counterpart Pete Hegseth about further support for Ukraine. A concrete agreement could jump out: Germany wants to buy two patriot air defense systems to the USA in order to make it available to Ukraine for defense against Russia.

At the start of Hegseth, Pistorius assured that Germany would continue to have a strong and reliable role in NATO alliance. It was determined to participate in the establishment of a more efficient, more reliable and more resistant Europe.

The turn of US President Donald Trump in the sanctions against Russia should also play a role. He threatened the allied Russia with massive tariffs if there was no “deal” in the Ukraine War in the next 50 days.

It is Pistorius’ first visit to the United States since the government took office of US President Donald Trump in January. A few hours before his departure, Trump announced that they wanted to sell patriot weapons systems for Ukraine to European allies. “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.

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 help 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.

Less than 24 hours in Washington

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.