Boris Pistorius & Pete Hegseth

Boris Pistorius: Boris Pistorius, Germany's Defence Minister, acknowledged the United States' troop withdrawal as expected and urged European nations to strengthen their own defenses. He emphasized Germany's efforts to boost its armed forces and infrastructure.

Pete Hegseth: Pete Hegseth, the United States Defense Secretary, ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany.

Boris Pistorius: Boris Pistorius, German Defence Minister, outlined strict preconditions for Germany's participation in mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pete Hegseth: Pete Hegseth, the US Defense Secretary, stated that troops were poised to restart combat operations if a deal was not reached, threatening to target Iran's critical dual-use infrastructure, power generation, and energy industry.

Boris Pistorius: Boris Pistorius, the German Defense Minister, is co-chairing the meeting on Ukraine defense, playing a role in coordinating military aid.