Germany updates: Defense Minister Pistorius heads to US

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is set to visit Washington on his first US trip since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Talks with Pistorius' US counterpart, Pete Hesgeth, are expected to focus on the delivery of more air defense systems to Ukraine after Berlin offered to pay for US Patriot missile systems for Kyiv.

Germany's order of nuclear-capable F-35 fighter jets from the US defense company Lockheed Martin as part of NATO's nuclear deterrence strategy is likely to also be on the agenda at the talks.

Meanwhile, a palliative care doctor accused of killing 15 patients with lethal injections is going on trial in Berlin.

Here is a round-up of news, analysis and background  from Germany on Monday, July 14.                                           

07/14/2025July 14, 2025

Trial of alleged serial killer doctor opens in Berlin

The trial of a palliative care doctor who is suspected of murdering at least 15 people opens in Berlin on Monday.

The Berlin public prosecutor's office is also investigating whether the 40-year-old could be involved in dozens of other cases.

The suspect, who has not been publicly named in line with German privacy laws, is accused of murdering terminally ill patients while working for a nursing service in the German capital.

Although his alleged victims were all terminally ill, their deaths had not been expected imminently. 

According to the 255-page indictment, he is accused of administering "a lethal mixture of various medications," including an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant, to 12 women and three men "without their knowledge or consent"  between September 2021 and July 2024.

His first alleged victim was the youngest, a 25-year-old woman, and the oldest is a 94-year-old woman.

The trial is expected to run until at least January 28, 2026.

The physician first came to the attention of police during arson investigations into fires he allegedly set to cover up the murders.

The married father of one has not yet commented on the allegations, according to both the defense and the prosecution. He has also refused to speak with a psychiatric expert.

The suspect reportedly wrote a doctoral thesis at university in 2013 titled "Why do people kill?", in which he examined homicides committed in Frankfurt am Main from 1945 to 2008.

07/14/2025July 14, 2025

Germany's Pistorius heads to Washington for sensitive talks

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is to meet with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, with Europe's security a likely focus of talks amid growing Russian territorial aggression in Ukraine. 

His visit — his first since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January — comes after Germany loosened its constitutional rules on debt to allow massively increased defense spending in line with NATO demands.

The talks are expected to center on Berlin's offer to pay for American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, which Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced weeks ago.

Trump said on Sunday he would send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, saying the EU would reimburse their cost.

Pistorius will also try to establish whether Washington is still planning to temporarilydeploy long-range missiles to Germany from 2026, as agreed under former US President Joe Biden.

Another topic is likely to be the mooted cuts to the deployment of US forces worldwide, which European leaders fear could bring a drawdown of the number of US soldiers in Europe, including some 40,000 in Germany.

European allies are urging Washington to ensure that any such moves are coordinated to avoid leaving gaps in the continent's defense capabilities that could be exploited by actors such as Russia.

07/14/2025July 14, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Guten Morgen from the DW newsroom on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn!

We'll be bringing reports on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' visit to Washington at a time when the US' defense commitment to Europe seems to be wavering under the Trump administration.

A trial in a case that has shocked the country is also getting underway in Berlin, with a 40-year-old doctor accused of killing 15 patients.

We will bring these and other stories, along with explainers and analysis from across DW's departments, as we cover the big topics that are the focus of talk in Germany at the moment.