By Tom Ozimek
Contributing Writer
Germany and Ukraine upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership on Tuesday and signed a defense cooperation agreement during meetings in Berlin, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged deeper military-industrial cooperation and said Russia has “no chance” of winning the war.
The new framework, set out in a 15-page declaration released on Tuesday by the German chancellery, commits Berlin and Kyiv to closer political, security and economic ties. It lays out plans for expanded collaboration in industrial recovery and post-war reconstruction, as well as in the areas of air defense, drones, ammunition and long-range strike systems.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “poses a common and immediate threat to both Ukraine’s freedom, as well as to Germany’s and Europe’s security, stability and prosperity,” the declaration states, adding that the German and Ukrainian governments had agreed to “upgrade our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership” and that the two countries are “united in countering the Russian aggression.”
The signing took place during a visit to Berlin by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a senior delegation of ministers. At a joint appearance, Merz highlighted Ukraine’s battlefield experience and the value Berlin sees in closer defense ties with Kyiv.
“No army in Europe has been as battle-tested in recent decades as Ukraine’s. No society has become more resilient than Ukraine. No defense industry has become more innovative than Ukraine’s,” Merz said, according to German news outlet Die Welt.
“Russia has no chance of winning the war.”
Air Defense, Drones, and Long-Range Capabilities
The chancellery declaration said Germany and Ukraine would deepen defense-industrial cooperation through new joint ventures and closer coordination on arms production.
The military component of the strategic partnership focuses on expanding Ukraine’s air defense, drone, ammunition, and long-range capabilities, as well as strengthening German and broader European defense capacity.
The declaration indicates that the two sides would work together to expand the air defense system and missile manufacturing, with a particular focus on accelerating anti-ballistic missile air defense. Germany has also pledged continued support for Ukraine’s drone industry and for drone co-production projects.
An annex to the agreement listed arrangements on joint production of long-range Anubis strike drones and mid-range Seth-X drones, and drone supplies for third countries, including in the Gulf, where Iran has been attacking U.S. military assets and energy infrastructure in neighboring countries in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Priority items listed in the annex also included contracts for Patriot missiles, additional IRIS-T launchers and strike drones. In addition, joint working groups would be established to help Germany learn from Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering unmanned systems, particularly in the physical protection of critical infrastructure.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov signed the defense cooperation pact during the visit.
In a post on social media, Fedorov said that the defense cooperation pact includes a 4 billion euro ($4.7 billion) package that would provide a “massive boost” to Ukraine’s air defense, including for several hundred Patriot missiles.
“Ukraine is becoming a global defense tech hub,” Fedorov said in a separate post. “By scaling joint production and AI solutions, we’re creating a win-win partnership.”
Fedorov said the deal includes an initial production run of 5,000 artificial intelligence-enhanced mid-strike drones as part of a joint production initiative.
“Ukrainian experience + German engineering = a new standard for defense tech,” he said, adding that Germany has agreed to provide around 300 million euros ($354 million) to scale the production of Ukrainian long-range weapons, allowing Kyiv to “strike further and more precisely, shifting the balance on the battlefield.”
Merz said the partnership would reinforce Germany’s and Europe’s defense-industrial capacity.
“With our support, we are simultaneously strengthening German and European defense capabilities and our industrial base,” Merz said, according to Die Welt.
Broader Strategic Partnership
Alongside the defense accord, Germany and Ukraine signed a joint declaration of intent on support for “industrial recovery and resilience.”
Germany will provide new funding of up to 233 million euros ($275 million) in areas including industrial cooperation, local self-government, and anti-corruption measures, with the declaration saying that stronger institutions and greater social cohesion are key for Ukraine’s security and long-term stability.
Berlin also committed to continuing support for the recovery and resilience of Ukraine’s energy system amid ongoing Russian attacks.
Further, Germany reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and reiterated support for Kyiv’s NATO ambitions.
“Germany stands by all commitments made by NATO towards promoting Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and will support efforts towards building the allied consensus required for membership,” the declaration states.
There was no immediate response from Russia to the announcement of the strategic partnership and defense cooperation.
The Kremlin has previously warned that it could consider countries that provide Kyiv with long-range strike capability, enabling it to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, as parties to the conflict.
