An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Readout of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan’s Meeting With German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen

Pentagon Spokesperson Eric Pahon provided the following readout: 

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan met with German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen today at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium, to reaffirm the defense relationship between the United States and Germany.

The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, including the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, equitable burden-sharing within the NATO alliance, the strength of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS and current operations in Afghanistan.

The secretary and minister also discussed the need to deepen military competencies in emerging fields, including cyber; space and autonomy.

Secretary Shanahan and Minister von der Leyen agreed to continue the strong bilateral defense relationship between the U.S. and Germany, and to ensure close coordination and consultation.