German minister to press Hegseth on arms supplies, missile deployment

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius heads to Washington on Monday to meet US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, to seek clarity on American arms supplies to Ukraine, missile deployment plans and the future of US troop levels in Europe, Report informs via Reuters.

Pistorius is likely to receive a warm reception as Europe's biggest economy recently emerged as a key player in NATO's largest military build-up since the Cold War, having for decades lagged behind in defence spending.

As European officials fret over a possible future attack from Russia and brace for a drawdown of US forces, Germany loosened its constitutional debt brake to meet NATO's new core military spending target of 3.5% of national output by 2029.

The move will boost German defence spending to 162 billion euros ($189 billion) in 2029 from 95 billion euros in the draft budget for 2025.

At a meeting with Hegseth at the Pentagon, Pistorius will discuss Berlin's offer to pay for American Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine, a proposal made public by Chancellor Friedrich Merz weeks ago after private discussions failed to elicit a response from Washington.