USA and German defence ministers discuss NATO spending and support for Ukraine

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius met in Washington on 14 July to discuss increasing NATO defence spending and support for Ukraine.

Hegseth praised Germany’s commitment to defence spending within NATO, viewing it as a sign of European leadership. He expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies would further strengthen this cooperation.

Pistorius emphasised the longstanding and strong partnership between the U.S. and Germany, describing it as a cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance.

He stated that Germany aims to take a leading role among allies by increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Germany has eased constitutional debt limits to meet NATO’s target of raising defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2029. This move will increase Germany’s defence budget from €95 billion in 2025 to €162 billion by 2029.

During the talks, the German side sought clarification on U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine, the deployment of Patriot missile systems, and the future size of U.S. forces in Europe.

Pistorius also confirmed Germany’s readiness to fund U.S.-made Patriot missile systems destined for Ukraine—a proposal previously put forward by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Patriot missiles would be sent to Ukraine, with costs to be covered by the European Union.

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