The acting German Federal Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, has announced the continuation of substantial military support for Kyiv amidst the US-led peace efforts. Pistorius, who is affiliated with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), made the announcement during a meeting of the self-proclaimed “Coalition of the Willing” Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels. The meeting was convened in the wake of the recent agreement between the SPD and the Union on a coalition agreement, which includes a significant strengthening of the Bundeswehr.
Pistorius emphasized the importance of a militarily strong Ukraine for the success of the peace process, stating that “we need a militarily strong Ukraine. Only then can the negotiation process lead to a lasting and just peace solution.” He further stated that Germany stands at the beginning of a new era in terms of military support for Ukraine and that the country must prove its capability to deter and defend in the coming years.
For this year, the Ukrainian forces will receive 100 ground surveillance radar systems and four additional IRIS-T air defense missile systems from German stocks, along with 300 guided missiles. Additionally, 14 artillery systems and 100,000 artillery shells, 300 reconnaissance drones, 25 “Marder” armored personnel carriers, 15 Leopard 1A5 battle tanks and 120 ground-based air defense systems of the “Manpads” type will be provided.
An internal report from the German military raises doubts about the combat readiness of German weapons. The report, which was first reported by SZ and WDR and also available to Spiegel, summarizes the presentation of the German Military Attaché in Kyiv, who discussed the experiences of the Ukrainian forces with German weapons. The report states that almost all German weapons systems have problems, including the Panzerhaubitze 2000, Leopard 1A5, Leopard 2A6 and the IRIS-T air defense system.
The report concludes that “almost no German weapon system is combat-ready” and it is classified as a secret document. The German Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report initially, but Pistorius stated that he was “surprised” by the report and that he was “in regular contact with our Ukrainian partners and I am not aware of such reports or complaints about our equipment.” He also emphasized that he would not “evaluate” the report and would “certainly” speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umjerov.