Germany has ruled out supplying Ukraine with any additional Patriot air defence systems, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stating that the country now has only six left and must prioritise its NATO commitments and national defence.
In an interview with the Financial Times ahead of his official visit to Washington, Pistorius confirmed that Berlin has already transferred three of its twelve Patriot systems to Kyiv.
“We only have six left in Germany,” he said. “That’s really too few, especially considering the NATO capability goals we have to meet. We definitely can’t give any more.”
Germany’s limited stock has already been stretched. Two Patriot systems are currently deployed to Poland, and at least one is consistently unavailable due to routine maintenance or training. That leaves only a handful to cover Germany’s own operational requirements.
While Pistorius ruled out further direct transfers, he suggested that support for Ukraine remains firmly on the agenda. He is expected to discuss with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth a potential “road map” for bolstering European defence, including the supply of additional US Patriot systems to Ukraine.
He also plans to revisit a proposal he made last month, which would see Germany purchase two Patriot systems from the United States on Ukraine’s behalf.
However, Berlin remains firm on one contentious issue: long-range missiles. Pistorius reiterated that Germany will not provide Ukraine with its Taurus cruise missiles, despite the latest wave of Russian airstrikes and renewed appeals from Kyiv.
Germany has emerged as one of Ukraine’s key military allies in Europe, but as its own defence inventory thins, the government faces growing pressure to balance support abroad with security at home.
