German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev unannounced on a security-focused visit, signaling Germany’s continued support for Ukraine as the largest NATO country in Europe. This is his fourth visit to Kiev since taking office, with the focus on talks with political and economic representatives. The Ukrainian side included the highest military and intelligence officials, while the German delegation consisted of several high-ranking government and defense industry representatives.
Discussions centered on German investments in Ukraine’s defense industry and the transfer of knowledge between the battlefield and the economy, Pistorius emphasized. The day before, he met with his counterparts from Poland, France, the UK, and Italy in a Warsaw suburb to demonstrate the unwavering European support for Ukraine, just before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Hours before the meeting in Warsaw, Pistorius handed over the first new self-propelled howitzer of the RCH 155 type to Ukrainian Ambassador Alexei Makeyev in Kassel, which was produced in Germany. A total of 54 modern self-propelled howitzers of German-French production by KNDS are to be delivered to Ukraine, with the Ukraine having ordered the new, developed, mobile guns in 2022 and 2023.
“The self-propelled howitzers will help Ukraine win the war against the Russian aggressor” Pistorius emphasized during the handover at the KNDS factory in Kassel. The manufacturer describes its product as the “world’s most modern self-propelled howitzer” enabling the first-ever shooting on the move. The new howitzer, RCH 155, is also “an important building block for the German land and alliance defense” Pistorius said in Kassel, adding that the weapon will contribute to increasing the war-readiness of the German Bundeswehr.
In the middle of the election campaign, Pistorius disagreed with his party colleague, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the height of the future defense budget. He apparently holds an increase in defense spending above two percent of the gross domestic product to be necessary. “Increasing the war-readiness of the Bundeswehr in the coming years to the highest priority, and as quickly as possible, is the top imperative of the hour” the federal minister said in Kassel.
In the defense budget, “the already noticeable” is happening, he said, adding that in the past year, Germany had reached the two-percent goal for the first time. “By 2025, we will continue on this path. And we know: in the following years, we will have to invest even more in our security.” He emphasized that two percent would only be the beginning, and that more would be needed if they were to continue at the current pace and scope.