Key facts
- Germany and the United States signed a letter of intent to deepen defense industry cooperation.
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the agreement on Tuesday.
- The pact aims to bolster weapons makers in both countries.
- Germany plans to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles.
- The agreement is intended to achieve a better balance between the two allies.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed a letter of intent with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday aimed at deepening cooperation between weapons makers in both countries. Pistorius stated that the agreement would help achieve a better balance between the two allies and increase capacities. The German minister noted that details of the defense cooperation, including a planned German purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles, still need to be worked out. He emphasized that the weapons purchase would not make Germany too dependent on the United States. Pistorius also mentioned that U.S. officials understood and appreciated Germany's accelerated efforts to increase defense spending and troops, and that discussions were friendly and relaxed.