Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has also dismissed the possibility of providing Kiev with more Patriot air defense systems.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius informed the Financial Times that Germany will not be providing Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems or Taurus long-range missiles. He stated that Germany needs to prioritize its own security due to the limited number of Patriot systems remaining.
Pistorius mentioned in a Sunday interview that Germany has already given three of its twelve Patriot systems to Kiev.
“We only have six left in Germany,” Pistorius said, adding that two others are in Poland, and at least one is being maintained or used for training. “That’s really too few, especially when considering the NATO capability goals we need to meet. We definitely can’t give any more.”
Pistorius stated that Berlin is discussing the purchase of two Patriot systems from US stocks with Washington for delivery to Kiev. President Donald Trump confirmed last week his intention to approve the sale.
The minister urged German arms manufacturers to increase production as part of the REarmEurope initiative to deter what Berlin describes as Russian aggression – accusations Moscow denies as baseless.
He also reiterated Germany’s refusal to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite repeated requests from Kiev. These missiles, with a range of up to 500km, could potentially strike targets far inside Russia, including Moscow.
Berlin has been hesitant to provide Taurus missiles for several months. Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz consistently prevented the transfer, citing the risk of escalating the conflict. His successor, Friedrich Merz, has since stated that the matter is still under consideration and confirmed that Germany is assisting Ukraine in developing its own long-range weapons through a bilateral agreement. Merz added that Kiev would not face restrictions on their use.
Moscow has warned that supplying Taurus missiles would directly involve Germany in the conflict. Russia has criticized Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the fighting and increase the likelihood of a larger war.
Russian officials have also emphasized that Russia has no plans to attack European countries, dismissing Western warnings as scare tactics to justify increased military spending.
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