Hegseth: Germany becoming key link in supporting Ukraine

Germany is emerging as a central pillar of NATO’s efforts to support Ukraine and bolster European security, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Pentagon on July 14.

During the bilateral talks, Hegseth praised Germany's growing role in NATO and its commitment to defence modernisation. Germany has pledged to permanently station a brigade in Lithuania, increase its defence spending, and purchase a fleet of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, underscoring Berlin’s enhanced role in transatlantic security, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Pentagon.

"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."

Earlier in the day, Hegseth joined President Donald J. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior U.S. officials at the White House for a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The discussion focused on future support to Ukraine, with Trump announcing that the U.S. will continue supplying weapons, which NATO will reimburse. In the interim, Germany has agreed to provide some of its own missile systems to Ukraine, which NATO will later 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 is also among the NATO countries that recently pledged to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defence by 2035. The country is expected to hit 3.5% in core defence spending by 2029. Rutte praised Berlin’s efforts, saying Germany has stepped up "massively" in supporting Ukraine and expanding its defence industrial base.

The meeting at the Pentagon reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to NATO and European security, as Berlin prepares to deploy a 4,800-strong brigade to Lithuania by 2027, comprising a mechanised infantry battalion, a tank battalion, and multinational elements.

"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," Pistorius said. "Time and again, this bond has proven its value and resilience in the face of unprecedented security challenges."

He emphasised that Germany will continue to assume greater responsibility within NATO, while acknowledging the indispensable role of the U.S. in transatlantic defence.

"In response to the shift in security landscape, Germany and our European allies have taken significant steps to reinforce European contributions within NATO," Pistorius said. "We have committed to substantially increasing our defense investments, reaching 5% of our GDP by 2035."

He added, "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."

Concluding the meeting, Pistorius assured Hegseth of Germany’s enduring commitment: "Let me assure you once more, Germany will continue to play a strong role and a reliable role in the alliance. We are firmly committed to fair burden sharing, and to building a more capable, more reliable, more resilient Europe with NATO."

By Vugar Khalilov