Merkel Calls Trump to Push for Continued Arms Deliveries to Ukraine – Patriot Systems in Focus

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday (03/07/2025) to advocate for the continuation of arms deliveries to Ukraine, particularly emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen its air defense capabilities. According to government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius, the call was initiated by Merz following Washington’s decision to suspend a military aid package that included the advanced Patriot air defense system. The revelation, first reported by BILD, confirmed that Berlin is seeking to acquire two Patriot systems from the U.S. on behalf of Kyiv—a deal initially agreed upon under former President Joe Biden. Bloomberg further reported that Germany plans to cover the full cost of these urgently needed deliveries, estimated at around €500 million. The proposal has already been submitted weeks ago to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. According to Der Spiegel, which first disclosed the Merz-Trump conversation, President Trump avoided making any concrete commitments during the call. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with Trump today, as reported by German radio, amid renewed large-scale Russian attacks. Zelenskyy later stated that he and Trump agreed to cooperate on enhancing Ukraine’s air defenses but did not provide specific details. However, Trump had earlier spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which he announced no progress was made. German officials, including Chancellor Merz, believe there is a direct link between the presidential call and the subsequent wave of Russian airstrikes. “There is a pattern with the Russian president—calls are usually followed by even harsher attacks,” said Cornelius, referring to the previous night’s devastating bombing of Kyiv, described by Ukrainian authorities as the most severe since the war began. Zelenskyy remarked that the timing of the strikes highlighted Moscow’s unwillingness to end its war against Ukraine. Next week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to visit Washington, where he will meet with his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth.