United to win: Germany pledges €1.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine

During his visit to Kyiv on November 21, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a new aid package for Ukraine.

He announced this at a joint briefing with the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umierov.

According to Pistorius, the new military aid package will include:

• 4 IRIS-T systems,
• 20 thousand shells of 155 mm caliber,
• anti-tank mines and other weapons.

"This is the fifth such package since last winter. And I am sure it will help you in your fight against Russian aggression," Pistorius said.

When asked about the possibility of supplying Taurus missiles, Pistorius said, "There is no new information about Taurus."

However, he said that Germany plans to supply Ukraine with 140,000 155-mm shells next year.

It should be noted that Ukraine has been appealing to Germany for several months regarding the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles. They can hit up to 500 km. At the beginning of November, it was reported that Germany had not yet decided on the issue of supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. Another reason for the refusal was that Germany allegedly feared a direct confrontation with Russia.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit on November 21. This is the second visit of Pistorius to Kyiv since taking the post of Minister of Defense.

The last time Pistorius was in Kyiv was in February 2023.

The purpose of Pistorius' visit to the Ukrainian capital is to get as precise a picture of the situation at the front as possible, talk with Ukrainian soldiers, and discover their military needs.

^{Photo: X / Ministry of Defense of Germany}

At the training ground near Kyiv, he was shown Western sniper rifles; he also got an idea of tank training on a combat simulator and with live cartridges and even inspected the soldiers' dormitories.

Pistorius said that Germany would continue to support Ukraine militarily and announced a new arms package.

For reference:

Germany has become one of the countries that help Ukraine, providing military, political, and financial support. Berlin provided several types of artillery, Leopard tanks of older and new modifications, IRIS-T and Patriot air defense systems, ammunition, vehicles, drones, and other weapons.

On October 14, Germany handed Ukraine multi-purpose tracked all-terrain vehicles Bandvagn 206, cars for border guards, and 50 systems for detecting drones.

On October 11, Germany announced new military aid to Ukraine worth about one billion euros. The package contains additional air defense systems, tanks, and ammunition.

In the August 17 aid package, Germany handed Ukraine two IRIS-T short-range anti-aircraft missile system launchers. Also, in the latest aid package dated October 27, Ukraine received another IRIS-T launcher and four armored personnel carriers.

The German government announced that it would allocate 200 million euros to Ukraine. The money will be used to restore Ukraine.