President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the German delegation led by Federal Minister of Defense of Germany Boris Pistorius. This marks his fifth visit to Ukraine.
The Head of State expressed gratitude for European leadership in providing defense assistance to Ukraine, Germany’s contribution to saving lives, and the delivery of Patriot systems. Above all, the President highlighted Germany’s decision to allocate €7 billion this year for military support to Ukraine.
“We are also grateful for the delivery of IRIS-T air defense systems. We understand the supply schedule for the coming years. This is extremely important support for us. It doesn’t mean that the war will last for years – we want it to end. But regardless, Ukraine, our land, and the safety of our people must be protected by high-quality air defense systems,” he noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Pistorius also discussed the localization of air defense system production in Ukraine and agreed on additional investments in the defense industry – particularly increasing joint arms production in both Ukraine and Germany.
“When we talk about production, we’re talking about our long-range capabilities – our drones, Ukrainian missile technologies, and other long-range tools,” the President added.
The German Defense Minister emphasized the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones, their battlefield use, and the technological expertise Ukraine has gained in its fight against Russian aggression.
“We all have to learn from this. And I believe we also need to advance in the industrial sector. That’s why we’re talking about joint ventures we want to build. We want more of these joint ventures, both in Germany and in Ukraine, in order to accelerate weapons production for the common good and thus strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities,” said Boris Pistorius.
He added that Germany is considering increasing its support for Ukraine this year to €9 billion, with part of that funding dedicated specifically to the production of long-range weaponry.
In addition, the meeting addressed coordination of diplomatic efforts, with particular focus on the Ramstein format. The President expressed his gratitude for the continued work of this format and stressed the importance of preserving it.