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German Defense Minister calls for unified European approach toward defense procurement

by Sonya Bandouil March 14, 2025 4:16 AM 1 min read
German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius speaks during a press conference at the 25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base on Jan. 9, 2025. (Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called for a unified European approach toward defense procurement in order to avoid bureaucratic delays, Reuters reported on March 12.

"We don't have time for this, it's excessive and expensive," he said.

His remarks followed a meeting with defense ministers from the U.K., France, Italy, and Poland in Paris, where they discussed strengthening European defense and supporting Ukraine.

Pistorius also called for coordinated and consistent arms purchases across Europe.

"We want to buy more, we want to buy consistently and simultaneously... together we can buy cheaper," he stated.

Under German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's leadership, Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S.

Germany allocated around 8 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine in 2024.

Ukraine, German arms maker seek to triple IRIS-T air defense supply
“The signed agreement paves the way for large industrial projects that will strengthen the capabilities of Ukraine’s air defense,” said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

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