German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived on Monday, May 11, for talks on expanding cooperation with Ukraine in the defense industry, DW writes.

During the visit, which had not been announced in advance, he plans to discuss with representatives of the Ukrainian government issues of cooperation between the two countries in the field of weapons production, dpa reports.

Strengthening this cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership between Germany and Ukraine is the main goal of the trip, Pistorius told the agency. “Germany and Ukraine are strategic partners, and both benefit from cooperation. This gives rise to many new projects”, - the minister explained.

According to him, the focus is on the joint development of the latest unmanned weapons systems of various ranges, including long-range drones for so-called “deep strike”. The German government is seeking to create new German-Ukrainian joint ventures, Pistorius said. “At the same time, we benefit from the Ukrainians’ battlefield experience”, - he noted.

In addition, the authorities of Germany intend to support developers through Brave1, a platform created by the government of Ukraine for investment and procurement in the defense sector.