Russia-Ukraine war: New German defense minister pledges to strengthen armed forces, continue support for Ukraine

Germany’s new defense minister Boris Pistorius pledged to strengthen the country’s armed forces, especially at a time when Russia is engaging in aggression against Ukraine. Pistorius also reiterated support for Ukraine at a time when Germany is under pressure to send or approve the transfer of its Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Pistorius was officially made Germany’s new defense minister on Thursday and is expected to host his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the same day. Pistorius will also meet with around 50 other defense leaders and NATO at Ramstein Air Base the next day. Pistorius succeeds Christine Lambrecht, who resigned days prior on Monday.

“These are not normal times, we have a war raging in Europe. Russia is waging a brutal war of annihilation on a sovereign country, on Ukraine,” said Pistorius in remarks at the ceremony in the German defense ministry. “Our task is to make the Bundeswehr strong now, it is about deterrence, effectiveness, and readiness. And it is about continuing to support Ukraine also with material of the Bundeswehr.”

Germany has been under pressure to send or to allow other countries to transfer their stock of Leopard tanks to Ukraine in recent weeks. A German government source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Berlin would allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States agrees to send its own tanks as well.

Pistorius said it was a big challenge to revamp Germany’s armed forces, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Scholz, at the time, said the armed forces had been neglected in the past few decades.

Speaking to ARD television, Pistorius was pressed on whether the US-made Abrams tanks and the Leopard tanks needed to be delivered to Ukraine at the same time, which may provide the possibility of an agreement on Friday. Pistorius said he was not aware of such a condition.

Scholz’s government has so far not authorized the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, which experts have said was the most suitable. Poland and Finland have already said that they will deliver their stock of Leopard tanks to Ukraine once approved by Berlin.