German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Monday arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for an unannounced visit aimed to discuss defence cooperation in the field of weapons systems.

Speaking to the German DPA news agency in Kyiv, Pistorius said the main goal of his trip was to strengthen both countries’ strategic partnership, including building a new weapons system together.

“Germany and Ukraine are strategic partners, both will profit from this cooperation,” he said. “The focus is on the joint development of state-of-the-art unmanned systems across all ranges, particularly in the area of deep strike. This is how we strengthen the security of our countries.”

The term ‘deep strike’ refers to the ability to destroy key targets deep within an enemy’s territory, an area Ukraine has been attempting to expand on in its war with Russia recently.

NATO’s European partners still have so-called capability gaps in the field of long-range weapons, something Pistorius believes needs to be rectified as soon as possible.

Pistorius’ visit on Monday comes as a temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is due to expire. The weekend ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday and confirmed by both parties.

It coincided with Russia’s military parades celebrating its victory in World War II, parades which President Vladimir Putin was adamant on not disturbing with potential Ukrainian strikes.

DW