Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius in Berlin Thursday morning, shortly after Pistorius was sworn in. The substantive discussion included Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; coordination ahead of tomorrow’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany; the importance of security in the Indo-Pacific for Europe and the United States; and planning for NATO’s Summit in Vilnius. Secretary Austin commended Germany’s strong support for Ukraine’s forces, particularly Germany’s recent security assistance commitments, and focused on the way ahead.
Secretary Austin and Minister Pistorius agreed to work together to continue to support Ukraine’s security and NATO’s deterrence and defense.