German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed that the final decision to transfer at least two Patriot missile systems to Ukraine could be made within days or weeks, despite the potential for delayed actual delivery. This move follows high-level talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, as part of broader discussions regarding the ongoing conflict. The meeting took place shortly after President Donald Trump issued a series of threats against Russia, including the possibility of imposing severe tariffs if no peace deal is reached within 50 days.
Pistorius and Hegseth met at the Pentagon on Monday, just hours after Trump’s public statements and threats against Moscow. During the meeting, Pistorius stated that they agreed to discuss the details of the deal ‘very, very quickly – quietly and quickly’, emphasizing the need for a discreet and expeditious process. He acknowledged that technical, logistical, and financial questions remain, but expressed confidence in their solvability.
While Berlin has indicated its willingness to cover the cost of the systems, estimated at around $1 billion each, it is still uncertain where the launchers will come from. Pistorius previously revealed that Germany has only six Patriot systems remaining, having already supplied three batteries to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict in 2022. Trump has stated that ‘several nations’ are ready to supply missile systems from their arsenals, including one unnamed country that allegedly has 17 Patriots getting ready to be shipped. It remains unclear whether Trump was referring to individual launchers or complete Patriot batteries, which include multiple components.
Moscow has continued to stress that no amount of Western military aid to Ukraine can alter the conflict’s trajectory, arguing that it only prolongs the war and escalates hostilities. The Russian military claims to have destroyed some of the Western-supplied missile systems during the conflict. The new plan to arm Kiev was officially announced on Monday while Trump was hosting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. Trump emphasized that ‘The European Union is paying for them. We are not paying anything for them… This will be a business for us,’ without clarifying what other weaponry will be supplied.