German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on June 12 to meet Ukrainian leaders and discuss future defense support for Ukraine, DPA news agency reported.

“We are doing everything we can to support Ukraine so that it can defend itself and get into a position where Russia is prepared to enter into serious negotiations,” Pistorius said ahead of the departure, according to Reuters.

The visit marks Pistorius’s first official trip to Ukraine as a minister in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new German government.

During former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tenure, Defense Minister Pistorius made several visits to the war-torn country and played a key role in establishing Germany as Ukraine’s top European military donor.

Amid President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Berlin on May 28, Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, signed an agreement allocating 5 billion euros ($5.76 billion) in military support to Ukraine.

Under the deal, Berlin agreed to help fund the production of long-range drones in Ukraine, tapping into the country’s existing industrial capacities and technical expertise.

Berlin also reaffirmed its commitment to supply Ukraine with critical ammunition and weapons. The arms heading Kyiv’s way include air defense systems, artillery, land weapons systems, and handguns.

Taurus cruise missiles, a much-coveted long-range weapon capable of striking targets 500 kilometers (300 miles) away, were not announced as part of the package.

Merz has pledged to maintain Germany’s steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Berlin’s role is even more crucial now as the U.S. Trump administration signaled its intent to cut down military assistance for Kyiv.

Since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Germany has provided Ukraine with almost 44 billion euros (around $50 billion) in various forms of support, the German government said.

Germany is weighing a massive defense procurement plan worth up to 25 billion euros ($29.4 billion) to supply thousands of combat vehicles for NATO’s expanding force structure, Bloomberg reported on July 4, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The proposed purchases are part of a broader pan-European effort to boost deterrence against Russia, as Western leaders warn of the growing risk of a large-scale war within five years.

Berlin is reportedly considering purchasing up to 2,500 GTK Boxer armored vehicles and up to 1,000 Leopard 2 battle tanks. The purchase would equip up to seven new brigades that Germany has pledged to form under NATO’s force generation plans for the next decade.

The Leopard 2 tanks are produced by KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall, while the Boxer is made by ARTEC, a joint venture of the same companies. Leopard 2 tanks have been supplied to Ukraine and tested in combat.

Final pricing and quantities are still under negotiation, and the projected cost could fall below 25 billion euros ($29.4 billion) depending on procurement timelines and contract terms.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and top Bundeswehr officials are reviewing the plans, with legislative approval expected by the end of the year, Bloomberg reported.

Germany has faced pressure from NATO and Washington to meet its alliance commitments, including the newly adopted pledge to spend at least 5% of GDP on defense by 2035.

The initiative, endorsed on June 25 at the NATO summit, reflects concern over Russia’s wartime economy, military buildup, and destabilization efforts across Europe.

U.S. President Donald Trump offered to increase supplies of American energy exports to Berlin but did not pledge additional military support to Ukraine or sanctions on Russia in a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on June 5.

The meeting was Merz’s first visit to the White House since becoming chancellor.

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.

“We have so much oil and gas, you will not be able to buy it all. … I hope we’ll be able to make that part of our trade deal,” Trump said during a joint press conference with Merz.

While Merz spoke of a “duty” to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, Trump did not make any commitments to further military aid for Kyiv. In the same press conference, he compared Russia and Ukraine to fighting children and refused to name a deadline for imposing sanctions on Moscow.

Merz nonetheless praised Trump’s role as a peacemaker between the two nations.

“I told the president before we came in: He is the key person in the world who can really (end the war) by putting pressure on Russia.”

Trump has frequently brought up Europe’s reliance on Russian energy when questioned about Washington’s role in pressuring the Kremlin or supporting Ukraine.

Nord Stream 1 and 2 are gas pipelines running between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 has never been activated, and the pipes shut down after suspected sabotage in 2022.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed in March that discussions were underway with the U.S. to resume gas flows through the pipelines. Trump has pursued warmer relations and stronger economic ties with Moscow since his inauguration in January 2025.

Merz said on May 28 that 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.

The leaders’ discussion on June 6 focused primarily on Russia’s war against Ukraine, NATO, and trade policy, Merz said in Berlin the day after the meeting. Merz insisted that Trump remains committed to NATO, despite the U.S. president’s history of disparaging the alliance.

U.S. President Donald Trump on June 12 praised Russia’s role in World War II, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is “confused” why everyone “hates” Moscow.

Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump recounted a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron about World War II commemorations.

“I said, ‘You’re celebrating our victory?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, “Your victory?'” Trump said.

“And then I spoke to President Putin at the time. He lost 51 million people. He (sic!) fought with us in World War II. Russia did fight. It’s interesting, isn’t it? It fought with us in World War II, and everyone hates it.

“And now everybody hates Russia and loves Germany and Japan. It’s a strange world.”

Trump said Putin had expressed confusion over the West’s treatment of Russia post-war, citing the Soviet Union’s wartime alliance with the U.S. and U.K.

“We were your ally,” Putin allegedly told Trump. “Now everybody hates Russia.”

Trump’s remarks align with a Kremlin propaganda narrative that downplays the Soviet Union’s World War II non-Russian casualties. According to Ukraine’s Institute of National Remembrance, Ukraine alone lost more than 10 million people during the war and suffered immense destruction on its territory — a fact often overlooked in Kremlin-led historical revisionism.

Russia has frequently weaponized its version of World War II history to justify present-day aggression. The Kremlin has invoked anti-Nazi rhetoric and Soviet-era heroism to rationalize its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022 — a war that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.

Trump has positioned himself as the only leader capable of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, but his reluctance to apply real pressure on Moscow has left Kyiv and its allies doubtful. The U.S. president has softened his tone on Russia while repeatedly threatening sanctions over its attacks on Ukraine — yet no new measures have been imposed.

Talking at the press conference about the war and the stalled peace efforts, Trump said he was “disappointed” with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that “deals could have been made.”

Trump has previously said that he refrained from imposing additional sanctions in hopes of securing a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

“If I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” he said on May 28, adding that a decision would come “in about two weeks.”

Despite failed peace efforts in Istanbul and Russia’s continued refusal to agree to a ceasefire, Trump reportedly asked Senate Republicans to delay voting on a bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries buying Russian oil.

The legislation, introduced in April, has broad bipartisan support, including backing from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine and has shown no signs of seeking peace. It continues escalating its attacks on Ukrainian cities, causing numerous civilian casualties.

Germany and Norway are prepared to purchase three Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine from a U.S. manufacturer, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference in Rome on July 10.

“Germany is ready to pay – I have agreements with them – for two systems. Norway is ready to pay – I have bilateral agreements with Prime Minister (Jonas Gahr Stoere) – one system,” Zelensky said on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

The announcement follows Kyiv’s calls for Western partners to provide additional air defenses to help Ukraine repel intensifying Russian aerial strikes.

Zelensky added that Ukraine needs a total of 10 Patriots and voiced hope that other European partners will join the new financing scheme. He noted that a final response from the U.S. manufacturer is still awaited.

Speaking at the Recovery Conference earlier on July 10, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Berlin is willing to purchase Patriots for Ukraine from the U.S., though adding that a final decision has not yet been made.

The comments followed reporting that U.S. President Donald Trump appealed to Merz to purchase a Patriot battery to boost Kyiv’s air defenses. The U.S. president also said separately that he is “looking” into the possibility of helping Ukraine acquire additional Patriots.

At a press conference in Malaysia on July 10, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also acknowledged Ukraine’s need for air defenses and urged European allies to provide their Patriot batteries.

“Ukrainians need more Patriot batteries. Many European countries have them, but no one wants to part with theirs. I hope that will change,” Rubio said.

“I hope we can convince some of our NATO partners to send these batteries to Ukraine.”

The comments followed confusion caused by what appeared to be a unilateral decision by the Pentagon to halt some of the weapons shipments en route to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles and precision munitions. Deliveries of at least some of the shipments have since then reportedly resumed, and Trump pledged to provide additional military support to Kyiv.

The Patriots are powerful U.S.-produced air defenses that have played a key role in protecting the Ukrainian skies. They are one of the few systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

Ukraine operates at least six of these systems, provided over the past years by the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania.

Russia has ramped up aerial strikes against Ukraine in the past weeks, launching a record of over 740 drones and missiles on July 9. A day later, Russian forces again launched around 400 drones and 18 missiles against the country, primarily targeting Kyiv.