German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrives in Kyiv. Photo: dpa
On 12 June, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv to hold talks with the Ukrainian leadership on the situation at the front and further military support, dpa reports.
He immediately made a statement to the press at the railway station:
“The intensification of Russian air strikes is a signal: Moscow is not interested in a peaceful settlement. It is attacking civilian targets with unwavering brutality.”
This is the second stage of the German-Ukrainian defence initiative. Two weeks ago, Pistorius and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov signed an agreement on the joint production of long-range weapons in Ukraine. Now the talks are about expanding cooperation to include:
- intensification of military-industrial cooperation;
- new types of weapons;
- consideration of additional support programmes in the context of escalating missile attacks by the Russian Federation.
Pistorius also stressed that support for Ukraine remains a priority for the new German government:
“We will discuss what other assistance Germany and other European partners can provide. Industrial cooperation is of great importance.”
This visit confirms that Germany continues to strengthen military ties with Kyiv, viewing Ukraine as a key partner in European security.
