The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Pistorius: Arms industry increasing capacity, Germany delivers 'what it can'

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk December 6, 2023 2:47 PM 2 min read
German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius speaks during a questioning of the Federal Government in the Bundestag on Nov. 29, 2023. (Melissa Erichsen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected the notion that Ukraine receives "too little to win and too much to lose" regarding military aid from its partners during an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Dec. 5.

"We deliver what we can. The same applies to almost all other allies and partners," Pistorius said.

Pistorius admitted there were issues in the supply chain of Europe's arms industry, which "dates back to peacetime" and "cannot deliver in certain areas as quickly as the needs are there."

He said that the defense industry is increasing capacity "wherever it can," but warned this takes time.  

Pistorius also said that the EU's goal of delivering one million rounds of artillery ammunition by March 2024 would not be met and that he warned of this "very early on because I saw that this number would probably  not be reached."

The EU set a target in March 2023 to increase the bloc's output of 155-mm shells to 1 million rounds per year for Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed on Nov. 13 that the EU is behind schedule in delivering the 1 million shells.

Pistorius promised that there would be improvements "in the next few months," and Germany would deliver almost 200,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

"But everything takes time, and it's not a question of political decisions or financial resources."

Pistorius also rejected the notion that the West does not want to see a full Ukrainian victory on the battlefield, saying that "we should be more afraid that Russia will win this war," in part because Germany will be faced "with a completely new security situation."

The West's responsibility is "to create a situation on the battlefield, in the war, that Putin realizes that he cannot win this war - and that is why he comes to the negotiating table."

Francis Farrell: Ukraine could still lose the war. Let’s get some things straight
This November has been a particularly grim one here in Ukraine. Over the past month, two media sensations in big Western magazines served as a sober wake-up call about the state of the war. First, Simon Shuster’s profile in TIME magazine on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “lonely fight”

News Feed

8:06 AM

Zelensky arrives in South Africa to meet President Ramaphosa.

"We count on South Africa’s meaningful participation in the International Coalition for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. We will also certainly strengthen our cultural and educational ties," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
5:30 AM

Trump says he may meet Putin 'shortly' after May Middle East visit.

Despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Trump and Putin have yet to have direct contact, communicating only through their officials. Trump's last in-person encounter with his Russian counterpart was during the 2018 Helsinki Summit during the U.S. president's first term.
8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.