Germany will finance a package of American weapons for Ukraine worth up to $500 million, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced today at a meeting of the Ramstein Group in Brussels, quoted by Reuters and BTA.

The package will include Patriot air defense systems, radar systems and precision-guided artillery missiles, he said, adding that the total military aid from Germany will amount to more than two billion euros.

Pistorius also announced the delivery of two more Iris-T air defense systems, as well as a large number of anti-aircraft missiles.

Ukraine will need military aid worth between $12 billion and $20 billion next year as part of NATO's new initiative to order American weapons, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmygal said in turn.

He added that Ukraine would be able to produce 10 million drones next year if it received sufficient funding from its allies, but it would also need more long-range artillery shells as it fights Russian forces.