USA-Reise: Pistorius reist in die USA: Gespräch mit US-Minister Hegseth

Verkehrsminister Boris Pistorius plans to strengthen defense collaborations with the United States. Ahead of a planned meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington, he highlighted their cooperation on the F-35 stealth jet and planned production of Tomahawk cruise missiles for Germany's Patriot anti-aircraft system.

"But our common potential stretches further. Germany boasts a powerful industrial base, well-trained specialists, and technological expertise. We can create new production capacities," the SPD politician explained. If the US and Germany could better combine their strengths, systems for deterrence and defense could be deployed more quickly and in greater numbers, Pistorius said.

This would strengthen the readiness of Germany, the United States, and the entire Alliance, he added. The government plans to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, a point agreed upon at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. Another key topic is whether and how the US military will change its troop presence in Europe, crucial for deterrence and defense.

Germany has offered ships, fighter jets, and unmanned weapons systems to NATO as replacements for previous guarantees from the US military. Pistorius previously visited Hegseth in Washington in summer 2025, but this meeting had not occurred until now. This timing may be positive, as the US has changed its stance toward Germany. After long criticism by US President Donald Trump and his officials for insufficient defense efforts by Germany and other European states, Germany has significantly changed its approach.

US Deputy Secretary Elbridge Colby recently praised Germany as a model for other allies, calling the Bundesrepublik's shift from demilitarization to rapid rearmament an "exceptional seismic shift" and a "historical change." Germany has moved from near-decades-long UN Blue Helmets deployment, set to end on December 31, 2026, to a significant role in international security.

Pistorius will then travel to New York, meeting UN representatives, including Secretary-General António Guterres, on topics like Blue Helmets' future and ongoing international involvement in Lebanon, where German forces currently participate in the UNIFIL mission. The Blue Helmets mission is set to conclude on December 31, 2026, with a one-year transition period, as agreed upon by all 15 UN Security Council members in 2023.