WASHINGTON –
Germany committed to a permanent brigade in Lithuania, a sizable purchase of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, an increase in defense spending and being a key nexus for providing support to Ukraine during a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on July 14.
Hegseth acknowledged those efforts during the meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
"First, I want to recognize the incredible support the German government gives to our troops in your country [who are] stationed there," Hegseth said. "Thank you for many years of partnership and friendship in that regard."
The secretary also called out Germany's forward momentum on providing support to NATO.
Earlier that day, President Donald J. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth and other officials also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, to discuss how the U.S. plans to support Ukraine going forward. That plan involves the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, which NATO will pay for. In the interim, the president said, Germany has agreed to provide some of its own missiles to Ukraine, which NATO will eventually replace.
"I think we've seen incredible progress inside NATO and with Germany taking the leap on that upfront commitment to your spending, commitment to European leadership," Hegseth said. "I want to commend you and thank you for that — to include the contributions and the partnership that we'll continue to undertake, especially given the approach the president is taking, [that] we just talked about this morning at the White House."
Germany, along with nearly every other NATO partner, has also recently committed to spending 5% of its gross domestic product on its defense, which greatly enhances NATO. And Rutte added that Germany has stepped up "massively" to help keep Ukraine strong and to increase defense industrial production.
"I look forward to further partnership," Hegseth told his German counterpart, noting Germany's commitment to European security by putting a brigade in Lithuania, and its commitment to buy fifth generation fighter jets from the U.S. In 2022, Germany agreed to buy 35 F-35 aircraft.
Through a long-standing partnership, Pistorius said, the U.S. and Germany have not only strengthened their own security, but also the security of other partners.
"Germany and the United States share a long-standing, deep and trusted partnership — a partnership that strengthens not only our two nations, but also benefits the entire transatlantic alliance," he said. "Time and again, this bond has proven its value and resilience in the face of unprecedented security challenges."
Pistorius reiterated Germany's continued commitment not only to the partnership with the U.S., but to NATO and European security as well.
"In response to the shift in security landscape, Germany and our European allies have taken significant steps to reinforce European contributions within NATO," he said. "We have committed to substantially increasing our defense investments, reaching 5% of our GDP by 2035."
The defense minister said it's understood that Germany would reach 3.5% of its GDP in core defense spending by 2029.
"We are determined to assume greater responsibility for Europe's deterrence and defense, while recognizing that the contribution of the United States of America remains indispensable to our collective security," he said.
The German army plans to station some 4,800 military personnel in Lithuania, along with civilian personnel. That brigade will eventually include a mechanized infantry battalion, a tank battalion and the multinational "Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania." Pistorius said the brigade will reach full operational capability by 2027.
"Let me assure you once more, Germany will continue to play a strong role and a reliable role in the alliance," Pistorius told Hegseth. "We are firmly committed to fair burden sharing, and to building a more capable, more reliable, more resilient Europe with NATO."