Strengthening air defense, defense production and pressure on Russia: results of the meeting between Zelensky and the German Foreign Minister
Фото: Офіс президента
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful discussed strengthening air defense and defense cooperation with the Ukrainian side during a visit to Kyiv. Berlin continues negotiations with European partners on additional missiles for the Patriot systems and is looking for opportunities for further support for Ukraine.
This was reported by the press service of the President’s Office.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that Germany has been and remains one of the leaders in strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. He thanked Berlin for its contribution to the PURL initiative, including 4 aid packages worth over $900 million, as well as for its assistance in finding and purchasing interceptor missiles in third countries.
Wadeful reported that Germany is continuing negotiations with European allies regarding additional supplies of Patriot missiles.
“I am also discussing with European colleagues further support for Ukraine in the field of air defense. I have already reached an agreement with one of them. All parties have shown openness. So far, there have been no agreements or promises, but I am convinced that something will be achieved. And I want to emphasize the urgency of this issue,” said Vadeful.
According to him, the issue of air defense is also related to preparations for possible negotiations to end the war. Vadeful plans to discuss the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week.
“Thank you to Germany and all your people for such great support. You are the most supportive in Europe. We are glad that we have such friends,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
During the talks in Kyiv, the parties also discussed Ukraine’s European integration, economic cooperation, increased pressure on Russia, and partnership in the defense sector.
Sybiga noted that Ukraine and Germany are expanding joint production of weapons, including drones.
“I recently visited a defense production facility in Germany that works with Ukraine and has increased its profits 8 times as a result. Germany became the first country with which Ukraine began joint production of drones. And this cooperation is now being successfully scaled and will be expanded,” Sibiga said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after meeting with Vadeful, called strengthening air defense a priority issue. According to him, the parties are also working on an agreement in the Drone Deal format.
“This is priority number one, and I am grateful to Germany for its leadership on this issue and efforts to provide us with as much assistance as possible. We also discussed the teams’ work on the Drone Deal agreement in order to sign this document in the near future,” Zelenskyy said.
Separately, during the visit, Russian hybrid attacks against Germany were discussed. The material notes that in mid-August, hackers attacked Berlin’s government infrastructure, and in early August, a drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig Airport.
The investigation into the Leipzig incident is ongoing. Investigators have found DNA traces that match samples collected in 2024 in the case of the arson of a logistics center in Leipzig.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also said that the country regularly faces hybrid threats due to its role in ensuring European security. A new technology center for protection against drones has been opened at the German Aerospace Center’s test airfield, with funding planned to be up to 10 million euros in the coming years.
By the way, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed an agreement on the joint production of BARS drones for the needs of the Ukrainian army.
As a reminder, the German Federal Government approved the draft state budget for 2027, which provides for 11.6 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine and a significant increase in the country’s defense spending.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.