Good mood during Defense Minister Pistorius’ inaugural visit to the USA: His counterpart Austin praised Germany’s commitment in Ukraine. “You see us in an important role,” believes Pistorius.
They seem to get along well – German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin. The discussions between the two governments a few months ago about supplying tanks to Ukraine have been forgotten. Now is the time to show unity.
“They know very well how big we are and that we are now Ukraine’s second-biggest supporter,” Pistorius said. “There wasn’t a hint of criticism or questioning or demanding more. You see us in an important role.”
“Grateful for everything Germany has done”
During the official inaugural visit, Austin praised Germany’s role in helping Ukraine: “While Russia continues its ruthless war, I am grateful for everything Germany has done to support Ukraine.” The US Secretary of Defense said the federal government’s security support and contribution to the training of Ukrainian defense personnel was invaluable.
The Federal Government intends to continue to get involved here. “By the end of this year we will have trained 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers – as far as I know, nobody has trained more,” said Pistorius. “In any case, we are among those who do the most.” The efforts are vital for Ukraine’s survival, especially in the current situation.
An eye on Russia and China
In addition to the topic of Ukraine, the defense ministers also discussed the tense situation with China in the Indo-Pacific and the NATO summit in a few weeks. The mercenary uprising in Russia may also have occupied both of them.
“I think you don’t have to be a Russia expert to see that a situation that can go so far in such a short time – that it is a clear signal that something is going wrong there or that there are cracks “, said Pistorius regarding the uprising of the mercenary group Wagner and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. How deep these cracks are and what consequences they could have “for Russia, for internal stability, for Putin” cannot yet be estimated, Pistorius said.
The inaugural visit was actually planned for April, but had to be postponed at short notice because of the fighting in Sudan.