German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump today regarding arms shipments to Ukraine. This discussion follows the American administration’s decision to suspend a military aid package for Ukraine.
Germany Seeks Patriot Systems for Ukraine
According to Chancellor Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, as cited by Reuters, Merz spoke with Trump after the aid suspension. Kornelius also confirmed that Berlin is actively trying to secure two Patriot missile systems from the U.S. to provide to Ukraine. This agreement had previously been reached with former President Joe Biden.
Bloomberg agency reports that the German government has expressed its readiness to fully cover the costs of this urgent aid, amounting to approximately 500 million euros. Germany’s proposal was submitted to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth several weeks ago.
Zelenskyy and Trump Discuss Air Defense Strengthening
Meanwhile, earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
This agreement comes amidst Kyiv’s growing concerns after Washington stated it was halting some critical arms deliveries, raising fears about Ukraine’s ability to defend its skies against continuous Russian attacks.
“Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian air attacks and broader developments on the front line. President Trump is very informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. We talked about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen the defense of our sky. We also agreed on a meeting between our teams,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media after his call with Trump.
He noted that he had a detailed conversation with President Trump and that both countries are ready for security-related projects, particularly concerning drones and defense technology against Russian attacks.
“We had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is extremely important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies. We also touched on mutual procurement and investments. Finally, we exchanged views on the diplomatic situation and joint work with the U.S. and other partners,” Zelenskyy further wrote.
