German Defense Minister plans new U.S. trip after previous meeting fell through

BERLIN — German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is planning a fresh attempt to meet his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth during a trip to Washington and Texas in September, internal planning notes seen by POLITICO show.

The proposed program includes a visit to the Pentagon and a potential bilateral meeting with Hegseth. Officials are also considering meetings with members of Congress, representatives of the U.S. National Security Council and defense industry executives.

The trip, planned for a five-day window in mid-September, would conclude in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a rollout ceremony for an American-built F-35 fighter jet set to be delivered to the German armed forces.

The plans are still being prepared and the individual meetings depend on the minister’s final schedule.

The German defense ministry declined to comment on the plans. However, it would be Pistorius’ second attempt this year to secure a dedicated meeting with Hegseth in Washington.

The German minister abandoned the U.S. leg of a planned North America trip in May after a meeting with Hegseth could not be arranged. Pistorius went ahead with the Canadian portion of the trip, while Hegseth traveled to the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.

The episode was a setback for Berlin as it sought direct access to the Trump administration during a period of growing uncertainty over Washington's military role in Europe.

Pistorius and Hegseth have met before. Most recently, both were at the NATO Summit in Ankara. And during a formal Pentagon visit in July 2025, the two discussed the future of U.S. forces in Europe and Germany's interest in the American Typhon long-range missile system as well as Tomahawk missiles.

Those questions have only become more pressing. Hegseth announced in June a six-month review of U.S. troop deployments in Europe, while Washington has already reduced some of the military capabilities it makes available to NATO. Pistorius has warned that any American withdrawal must be coordinated with European allies to avoid dangerous gaps in the alliance’s defenses.

Internal planning notes do not identify the specific weapons programs Pistorius could raise in Washington. The notes mention intended discussions on relevant procurement projects, alongside the organization of defense purchasing.

The Texas stop would provide a more ceremonial element to the trip.

A rollout is the formal public unveiling of a newly assembled aircraft — not yet its delivery to the German military. Germany’s first F-35 entered final assembly at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth factory earlier this year and is due to make its first flight and be officially presented on Sept. 18, according to Lockheed Martin.

Germany ordered 35 of the stealth fighters to replace its aging Tornado fleet, including in the sensitive role of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs stationed in Germany in the event of war.

The first eight German aircraft will initially remain in the United States, where pilots will train at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. The first F-35s are expected to arrive at Germany’s Büchel air base in 2027.

Berlin has also been mulling an expansion of the fleet with another 15 aircraft, POLITICO previosuly reported. The planning notes, however, do not indicate whether that potential purchase will be among the projects discussed during Pistorius’ visit in September.