German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that he wants production lines for American-made Patriot air defense systems to be established in Europe and Germany. Pistorius stated that discussions are being held with the US defense company Raytheon on this matter.

Minister Pistorius made statements to reporters after the Defense Committee meeting in the Bundestag.

Pistorius answered a question about Germany's approach to establishing a PAC-3 supply line in Europe with the words, "Yes, this is our wish."

The Minister stated that he discussed the issue with the American defense company Raytheon during his visit to Washington. He added that plans to increase production capacity in Europe are linked to Germany's other ongoing work related to its defense industry.

Pistorius noted that their aim is to contribute to meeting the increasing demand for Patriot and other American defense systems by establishing production lines in Europe and Germany.

Emphasizing that the issue will be discussed in more detail, Pistorius pointed out that the final decision is linked to intellectual property rights.

German Defense Minister Pistorius used the expressions, "Of course, whether the Pentagon, the White House, and the company will cooperate on this matter is also a question mark."

Stating that the issue is currently being evaluated, Pistorius expressed his hope that the parties will find "good solutions."

However, the Minister noted that the decision-making authority is not in Germany, stating, "We made the offer."

Pistorius also answered a question regarding whether political pressure related to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which came first in two states in the state parliament elections in Germany, would increase. The Minister said, "To be honest, this pressure is not coming from the right, but largely from Moscow."

Pistorius argued that Moscow has an interest in weakening Germany's determination to assume its conventional deterrence and defense responsibilities as Europe's largest NATO partner. He emphasized that Germany must be resolute regarding defense spending.

He stated that a specific exception was agreed upon in the budget to prevent defense spending from competing with other policy areas. This, he conveyed, prevents the necessary resources for defense from being pitted against resources in other areas, including social policies.