World News 2: Germany pledges military aid in Kyiv

Germany pledged more military aid to Ukraine, in addition to a joint production of long-range missiles and drones, during military aid talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, during his visit to Kyiv on Thursday Germany has provided 8.1 billion U.S. dollars worth of military aid this year, with an additional 2.2 billion dollars awaiting parliamentary approval.

The new aid package includes the delivery of new IRIS-T air defense systems under a three-year supply plan.

Talks also included the joint production of long-range cruise missiles, drones, and rockets, exchanging funding for technical expertise.

While Kyiv pushed for long-range Taurus cruise missiles, Berlin is not planning to supply them at this time.

Pistorius emphasized Germany's role as Ukraine's largest European military backer and said enhanced support aims to strengthen Ukrainian deterrence and negotiating leverage ahead of any future peace talks.