German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Monday, May 11, arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. The key goal of the trip is to expand defense cooperation, in particular the launch of joint projects to develop unmanned weapons systems of different ranges.
This was сreported by the publication n-tv, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
The visit of the head of the German defense department was not announced in advance for security reasons. At the beginning of the trip, Pistorius emphasized that as part of the new initiatives, the main emphasis will be on the joint development of innovative unmanned systems.
Battlefield experience and defensive innovation
At the end of April, the German minister noted that Germany receives significant benefits from the military support of Ukraine, as it adopts unique experience in the fields of UAV technologies and cyber defense. According to Pistorius, Ukraine has demonstrated incredible potential in efficiency and innovation.
“Ukraine is a country that, out of necessity, has developed incredible potential in the field of innovation and efficiency. They are developing technologies not in laboratory conditions, but – literally – on the battlefield,” the minister said.
New mechanisms of cooperation
To establish closer cooperation, the German Ministry of Defense plans to send additional military attaches to the German embassy in Kyiv. They will act as contact persons for direct coordination of defense projects.
In parallel with this, German Minister of Economy Katerina Reiche during the negotiations announced plans to create a special coordination bureau. This structure will help German companies that are interested in industrial and defense cooperation with the Ukrainian side.
Long-term financial support
The financial stability of further assistance was confirmed by German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. He said that the budget for 2027, which will be presented next Wednesday, will consolidate systemic support for Ukraine.
According to the plans of the German government, in 2027, Germany intends to allocate 11.6 billion euros to Ukraine, and in the period from 2028 to 2030, annual funding of 8.5 billion euros is planned.
Photo – DPA
