German defence minister, in US, assures Berlin will do more in NATO

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius sought to assure the United States, Germany's most important NATO ally, that Berlin is willing to assume more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world.
At the same time, Pistorius called on the US government not to let up on its joint commitment in Europe.
"We both will continue to work closely as partners, as allies, and as friends. This is more important than ever in this world, and I'm confident that we can achieve much together," said Pistorius at a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
Pistorius was received on Thursday with full military honours at the headquarters of the US Defense Department.
The ceremony included an extended honour guard and military band.
Pistorius is currently on a visit to both the US and Canada, a trip intended to make Germany's renewed commitment to military defence clear to both North American NATO partners.
In the run-up to the NATO summit in Washington in July, Pistorius is seeking to alter a critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years, with multiple US presidents sharply critical of German defence policy and low investment in the country's military.
Former president Donald Trump, who hopes to return to the White House next year, was particularly vocal and public with his harsh criticism of Germany.
Pistorius said that Germany was prepared to make "more contributions to fair trans-Atlantic burden-sharing."
He cited increased German defence spending that now is above NATO's target of at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), as well as preparations to permanently deploy a brigade to Lithuania and leadership in a European air defence initiative.
In a speech at the Pentagon, Austin himself listed Germany's contributions to the defence of Ukraine and NATO, as well as to security in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He said
"Our two proud democracies are in lockstep," Austin said.
Later, Pistorius said Berlin will pay for the delivery of three HIMARS long-range missile artillery systems from the United States to Ukraine.
Pistorius made the decision public on Thursday in Washington after talks with Austin.
He said the three systems, which cost tens of millions of dollars, will come from the stocks of the US armed forces and will be paid for by Berlin.
The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a multiple rocket launcher artillery system mounted on a lorry chassis.
The previous day, Pistorius had visited a Boeing plant in Philadelphia where CH47-F Chinook heavy military transport helicopters are produced. Germany has ordered 60 updated versions of the helicopter for its own military, with delivery expected in 2027.
Germany has placed €23 billion ($25 billion) worth of orders from US firms for weapons and military equipment since Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a "Zeitenwende," or historic turning point, in the country's defence policy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Pistorius has described purchase contracts for existing weapons systems as a better way to avoid costly and time-consuming procurement processes, which can be plagued by delays and cost increases due to special requirements.
During his trip, Pistorius has made clear that he thinks dramatically more investment is needed in Germany's armed forces to address gaps created in recent decades, and that restrictions on government debt should not be allowed to block needed spending.