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The German government has appointed a new defense minister following Christine Lambrecht’s decision to step down. The new defense minister comes at a time when Germany is under pressure to approve the use of German-made tanks in Ukraine.
Berlin appointed Boris Pistorius as the country’s new defense minister on Tuesday, succeeding Lambrecht, who resigned the day before and ahead of an upcoming conference on Friday that would take place at the US military base in Ramstein on the West’s plans to provide more weapons to Ukraine. Pistorius is expected to host his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Berlin on Thursday.
Pistorius’ appointment also comes as Germany has shown a reluctance to approve the delivery of heavy Leopard tanks as Berlin has raised concerns that this may only lead to an escalation in the war. Other countries that have Leopard tanks also need Berlin’s approval before they can be provided to another country.
“There are important decisions to be made in the short term, in particular, the urgent question of how we continue to support Ukraine in its right to self-defense,” said German economy minister Robert Habeck of the Greens Party in a statement. “Germany bears a responsibility here and has major tasks to accomplish.”
Pistorius has served as interior minister in Lower Saxony since 2013 and, in the role, has worked with the German armed forces. In 2019, Pistorius ran for a leadership position in the Social Democratic Party and is known for his hardline stance on security issues.
“I want to make the armed forces strong for the time ahead,” said Pistorius in a statement ahead of his formal appointment as defense minister on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands will reportedly be sending Ukraine its Patriot missile defense system, according to Dutch news outlet ANP, citing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is currently in the United States meeting President Joe Biden.
Citing a fireside conversation between the two leaders, Rutte apparently said they would take part in a US-German initiative to send the missile defense systems to Ukraine. Rutte also said he spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the decision.
