
Germany reportedly mulls $29 billion tank, vehicle order to deter Russia
Berlin is reportedly considering purchasing up to 2,500 GTK Boxer armored vehicles and up to 1,000 Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Berlin is reportedly considering purchasing up to 2,500 GTK Boxer armored vehicles and up to 1,000 Leopard 2 battle tanks.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also cited the Taurus missile system’s complexity, saying it requires at least six months of training — something Germany has not yet agreed to begin.
According to the police statement, the autopsy results confirmed that both victims died from violent causes. The bodies were discovered in the Holsterhausen district of Dorsten in Germany.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met in Kyiv on June 30, where the two leaders discussed Germany supplying additional IRIS-T air defense systems, joint weapons production, and strengthening sanctions against Russia, Zelensky said.
Key developments on June 30: * Ukrainian forces push Russian army away from Sumy, General Staff says * Ukrainian military again denies reports on Russian troops entering Dnipropetrovsk Oblast * After months of stalling, Russia blames Ukraine, US for slow pace of peace talks * Germany vows to pursue 'every path' to boost Ukraine's
Speaking at a press conference during his visit to Kyiv, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany is working with its defense industry, European allies, and the United States to urgently secure more systems for Ukraine's air shield.
The incident adds to a series of aerial provocations reported by NATO allies since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as Moscow is suspected of using the aircraft to spy on the alliance's positions.
Germany aims to increase domestic military spending in response to Russia’s ongoing threat and amid calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense.
Key developments on June 12: * Ukrainian forces 'gradually pushing back' Russian troops from Sumy Oblast, Zelensky says * Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles * Ukraine, Russia carry out another exchange of POWs under Istanbul deal * 'Juicy target' — Ukraine says it struck Russian electronics
Germany will deliver new IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine under a three-year supply plan, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on June 12 to meet Ukrainian leaders and discuss future defense support, DPA news agency reported.
The EU provided 13 million euros ($15 million) of the new funding, while Germany's International Climate Initiative (IKI) provided 5 million euros ($5.7 million).
"They don't need to send tanks for that," German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told Table Media. "They just have to send 'little green men' to Estonia to defend the allegedly oppressed Russian minority."
"We must quickly create space for 1 million people," Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance told Suddeutsche Zeitung. "Existing structures must be assessed and adapted without delay."
When asked whether Trump would impose additional sanctions on Russia, the president dodged the question by boasting that he "ended Nord Stream 2" and hinting at future energy deals with Germany in a press conference with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Top German official Thorsten Frei said in an interview with German media on May 31 that the EU should reconsider using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, urging a tougher stance against the Kremlin.
On May 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Germany and met with the country’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. There were high expectations that Berlin would finally authorize the delivery of Taurus long-range missiles — a long-standing request from Kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion. However, this demand had been
As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes countrywide, all eyes are on Europe’s capacity to continue supporting Ukraine, with the future of U.S. military aid growing ever more uncertain. Ukraine should have enough air defense missiles despite the persisting shortage to avoid the worst of the
Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro "Rearm Europe" plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the
The alliance's overall demand for the number of brigades provided by member states could go from 80 to between 120 and 130, an undisclosed senior official told Reuters.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 28 that a potential delivery of Taurus cruise missiles for Ukraine is not being ruled out, but did not provide further details.
* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak's advisor says * 'We'll know in two weeks' if Putin serious
The agreement includes direct German investments in Ukraine's defense industry and a broader treaty between Kyiv and German arms manufacturers.
The German government will "do everything to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 28.
Germany and Ukraine will sign a memorandum on the joint purchase of "long-range fires" manufactured by Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on May 28.
The two leaders are expected to discuss Germany's military assistance and ceasefire efforts, a German government spokesperson said.
Latest: Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced A statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 about long-range strikes inside Russia resurrected a long-held hope in Ukraine — that Berlin is finally about to send Kyiv its Taurus missiles. "There are no
"In this respect, yesterday in Berlin, I described something that has been happening for months: namely, that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons it receives, even beyond its own borders, against military targets on Russian territory," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
A European diplomat in Kyiv said that Berlin plans to send older PAC-2 Patriot missiles, which are less effective at intercepting ballistic missiles than the newer PAC-3s.
The meeting comes as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to promote European efforts to initiate further technical-level peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military facilities in Russia," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. "Until recently, it couldn’t do that, and apart from very few exceptions, it hadn’t done so either."
NATO is expected to ask Berlin to at least quadruple its air defense systems, ranging from long-range platforms such as the Patriot to short-range interceptors, according to Reuters.