Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, met in Berlin to discuss deepening defense and security ties between their two nations and reaffirm their unwavering support for Ukraine. Sunak acknowledged that different countries can contribute different strengths to the effort and expressed appreciation for Scholz’s commitment to provide an additional Patriot missile system to Ukraine. Scholz emphasized Germany’s support through the provision of Leopard tanks and other systems, reiterating his firm stance against sending Taurus cruise missiles due to concerns about escalation.
Both leaders underscored the ongoing unity among allies in supporting Ukraine and announced several joint initiatives. These include the development of remote-controlled Howitzer 155mm wheeled artillery systems to be integrated with Boxer armored fighting vehicles, as well as cooperation in the production of renewable energy from the North Sea and efforts to tackle organized immigration crime. Sunak praised Scholz’s significant decision to increase defense spending under his ‘Zeitenwende’ policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Sunak’s visit to Berlin, his first since becoming Prime Minister, comes amidst pressure to engage with key European allies. During his trip, he also met with executives of German businesses, including Siemens, which announced new investments in the UK worth approximately £8 billion. Sunak’s stop in Berlin follows his recent visit to Warsaw, where he pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 in response to threats from authoritarian states such as Russia and China.
