The Defense Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius, publicly acknowledged that Berlin can't supply Ukraine with more Patriot air defense systems from its own reserves due to the current limitations of the German Armed Forces.
The statement was made on January 26 during a press conference in Berlin alongside his Lithuanian counterpart, Robertas Kaunas, and it was reported by several German media outlets.
Pistorius explained that Germany has already made a considerable effort and, in his own words, "disproportionate" in supplying this type of weaponry to Ukraine. The country has transferred more than one-third of its total Patriot capacity, which has significantly reduced its own stocks.
As a consequence, the German Army, the Bundeswehr, is now waiting to receive replacement systems before it can consider further deliveries.
El ministro de Defensa de Alemania reconoció que Berlín no puede seguir suministrando sistemas de defensa ''Patriot''
"The problem is that we can't do more at this moment", stated the minister, emphasizing that Germany must guarantee its own defensive capability, as well as the proper training and maintenance of the systems it still retains. Pistorius insisted that continuing with new transfers without receiving replacements would put at risk the operational readiness of the German Armed Forces.
The statements come in a context of growing requests from Ukraine to receive more air defense systems and ammunition, especially in light of the intensification of Russian attacks. According to Pistorius, although Germany understands the urgency of the situation on the Ukrainian front, there are practical and strategic limits that can't be ignored.
Nevertheless, the minister stressed that Germany continues to play a key role in other areas of Ukrainian air defense. In particular, he pointed out that Berlin is the only country capable of supplying IRIS-T systems, manufactured by the German company Diehl Defence.
Ucrania continúa demandando sistemas de defensa a Alemania, mientras Berlín posee limitaciones para con sus propias fuerzas armadas
As he explained, these systems are being delivered "almost continuously", although he acknowledged that, in the face of the "massive" increase in Russian attacks, the deliveries made so far are not sufficient to cover all of Ukraine's needs.
In this regard, Pistorius made a direct appeal to Ukraine's Western allies to assume greater collective responsibility.
"The task of all of us is to jointly review our own reserves", he stated, addressing in particular those countries that might still have available capabilities to support Kyiv. His words reflect a growing concern in Berlin about the imbalance in the distribution of the military effort among Ukraine's partners in Europe.
El gobierno de Merz ha mostrado preocupación por la escasez de suministros militares que posee el ejército alemán y llamó a sus aliados en la UE a colaborar más con Ucrania
The German minister also launched harsh criticism against Russia for its military strategy, focused on prolonged attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He described these actions as "particularly cynical" and condemned the fact that Moscow is attacking civilian targets in the middle of winter.
"While the possibility of a ceasefire is being discussed in the Abu Dhabi talks, Russia is acting with relentless brutality and cruelty", stated Pistorius, accusing the Kremlin of committing acts of terror against the civilian population in violation of international law.
In parallel, it was reported that Ukraine has recently ordered 18 additional IRIS-T systems from Diehl Defence, which highlights Kyiv's growing dependence on the German defense industry given the impossibility of receiving more Patriot systems in the short term.
Putin recibió duras críticas de Berlin por su estrategia militar
