Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III conducted a call with his German counterpart, Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, March 4 to reaffirm the strong transatlantic alliance in the face of Russian attempts to sow disunity.
Both agreed that ensuring that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against Russia's onslaught remains a top priority for the United States and Germany. They highlighted the importance of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group as a convening function for organizing security assistance to Ukraine.
They also exchanged views on the security situation in the Red Sea and agreed on the importance of ensuring close coordination of the various international maritime security efforts there.