German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday to deepen cooperation between weapons manufacturers in both countries, Reuters reports.
According to the outlet, Pistorius said he had a good discussion with Hegseth, noting that details of the cooperation, including Germany’s planned procurement of Tomahawk cruise missiles, still needed to be worked out.
Pistorius underlined that the weapons purchase would not make Germany dependent on the USA, but would help achieve a better balance between the two allies, Reuters informs.
“It’s about coming closer together in those areas in which we need each other, and to make clear that we can benefit from each other when it comes to increased capacities of our defense industry,” he said.
Reportedly, Pistorius also emphasized that Germany and the USA were “on the same page” regarding security concerns in Europe, and that American officials appreciated Germany’s efforts to increase defense spending and troop levels. Pistorius did not hear any criticism of Germany’s actions or new demands, Reuters writes.
The agreement comes as defense stocks depleted following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, as Reuters reported before.