Merz says Germany, Ukraine to collectively produce long-range weapons
German chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned Wednesday throughout a go to by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Berlin will assist Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that may hit targets in Russian territory, AFP reported.
“Our defence ministers will signal a memorandum of understanding right now concerning the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons programs,” mentioned Merz, with out naming the producers concerned.
“There can be no vary restrictions, permitting Ukraine to completely defend itself, even in opposition to navy targets exterior its personal territory,” he instructed a joint press convention.
The manufacturing of long-range weapons “can happen each in Ukraine and right here in Germany,” he mentioned. “We is not going to present any additional particulars till additional discover.”
Merz hailed the undertaking as “the start of a brand new type of military-industrial cooperation between our international locations that has nice potential”.
Key occasions
Merz says Germany will ‘do every little thing’ to stop Nord Stream restart
Germany will “do every little thing” to ensure the broken Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia is not going to resume deliveries of pure gasoline to Europe, chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned on Wednesday.
“We’ll proceed to extend the strain on Russia,” Merz mentioned at a press convention with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. He added:
We’ll do every little thing on this context to make sure that Nord Stream 2 can’t be put again into operation.
The Nord Stream 2 gasoline hyperlink connecting Russia and Germany by way of the Baltic Sea was broken in September 2022 by enormous underwater explosions, mentioned to be an act of sabotage. The explosions destroyed one of many two pipes of Nord Stream 2 and each branches of its controversial sister pipeline, Nord Stream 1.
Whereas Nord Stream 2 by no means went into operation, Nord Stream 1 for years shipped low cost Russian gasoline to Europe by way of Germany.
Critics have argued the existence of the pipeline left Germany and the remainder of Europe over reliant on fossil gas deliveries from Moscow.
German and British media have lately reported that Washington and Moscow had mentioned the thought of reviving the Nord Stream 2 undertaking throughout talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine, reviews Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Senior political figures in Merz’s personal get together had additionally expressed tentative help for restarting gasoline deliveries by way of the pipeline from Russia earlier than the chancellor definitively dominated out the chance.
European Fee president chief Ursula von der Leyen mentioned earlier this month the bloc was engaged on a brand new set of sanctions that would come with measures in opposition to Nord Stream 1 and a couple of, pre-empting a restart.
Explaining the measures, EU spokesperson Paula Pinho mentioned, “the thought is to dissuade any curiosity, and notably curiosity from buyers, in pursuing any exercise on Nord Stream, additionally sooner or later”.
Istanbul might be a venue for the following spherical of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Wednesday.
Merz says Germany, Ukraine to collectively produce long-range weapons
German chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned Wednesday throughout a go to by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Berlin will assist Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that may hit targets in Russian territory, AFP reported.
“Our defence ministers will signal a memorandum of understanding right now concerning the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons programs,” mentioned Merz, with out naming the producers concerned.
“There can be no vary restrictions, permitting Ukraine to completely defend itself, even in opposition to navy targets exterior its personal territory,” he instructed a joint press convention.
The manufacturing of long-range weapons “can happen each in Ukraine and right here in Germany,” he mentioned. “We is not going to present any additional particulars till additional discover.”
Merz hailed the undertaking as “the start of a brand new type of military-industrial cooperation between our international locations that has nice potential”.
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned on Wednesday that Ukraine’s defence minister, who was the chief of Ukraine’s Istanbul negotiating staff, had a name with the top of Russia’s staff to these talks.
He’s talking at a joint information convention in Berlin with German chancellor Merz.
Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine not being invited to the upcoming Nato summit would imply a victory for Russian president Vladimir Putin over the alliance.
Zelenskyy had mentioned on Tuesday that Nato chief Mark Rutte needed Ukraine to attend the summit.
Nonetheless, it was nonetheless not clear whether or not Kyiv can be invited.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine reaches defence sector accords with Germany
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Wednesday that Ukraine and Germany had reached new agreements on defence sector investments.
Zelenskyy, who was talking in Berlin alongside German chancellor Friedrich Merz, didn’t give additional particulars.
Kyiv has more and more sought cash from its allies to fund its personal burgeoning defence business.
Ukrainian president Volydymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine and Germany have new agreements on defence sector investments.
Extra particulars quickly …
“We Europeans are able to help technical talks between Ukraine and Russia,” German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has mentioned at a joint press convention in Berlin with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Extra particulars to observe …
Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia constructing energy traces to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukraine has protested to the worldwide atomic vitality watchdog about reviews that Russia is constructing energy traces to attach the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its personal grid, a Ukrainian official mentioned on Wednesday.
Yuriy Vitrenko, Ukraine’s consultant to worldwide our bodies in Vienna, instructed Ukrainian information company Ukrinform that Kyiv sees any try by Russia to attach the occupied plant to its grid as a gross violation of worldwide regulation and Ukrainian sovereignty.
There may be now a stay feed embedded on the high of this web page which can stream Zelenskyy and Merz’s press convention in Berlin. You will have to refresh the web page to entry it.
Listed here are some photos coming in by way of the newswires of Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskyy in Berlin right now:
Belarus scales again deliberate navy drills with Russia
Belarus will reduce navy drills with Russia deliberate for September, slicing the variety of troopers participating and shifting them away from the western border, Minsk mentioned on Wednesday, reviews Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Belarus is a key Russian ally and allowed its territory for use as a staging publish for Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv, in addition to Poland and the Baltic states, have repeatedly expressed alarm about doable navy buildups within the nation.
“We’ve determined to scale back the parameters of the ‘Zapad-2025’ train and to maneuver its predominant manoeuvres deep into the territory of the Republic of Belarus, away from the western borders,” defence minister Viktor Khrenin mentioned in an announcement posted on Wednesday on the ministry’s Telegram channel.
“The variety of troops taking part within the drills can be reduce virtually by half,” Gen Valery Revenko, the top of the ministry’s division for worldwide cooperation mentioned at a safety discussion board within the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
Russian state media reported about 13,000 troopers had been initially to participate within the drills.
Khrenin mentioned the transfer was “to exhibit to our allies and companions around the globe the actually peace-loving place of the Republic of Belarus”.
The Zapad navy drills often contain tens of 1000’s of troops in a present of power near Belarus’s western border with EU and Nato members.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy final month warned Russia was “getting ready one thing” in Belarus “utilizing navy drills as cowl”. “That’s often how they begin a brand new assault,” he mentioned.
About 200,000 troops participated within the 2021 version of Zapad, staged simply months earlier than Moscow invaded Ukraine.
The Kremlin believes that US president Donald Trump was not totally knowledgeable concerning the Russia-Ukraine battle, international coverage aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned on Wednesday, in accordance with Reuters.
He was commenting on remarks by Trump that Vladimir Putin was “enjoying with hearth” by refusing to interact in ceasefire talks with Kyiv.
Pope Leo XIV appealed on Wednesday for an finish to the conflict in Ukraine, reviews Reuters.
Throughout his weekly basic viewers in St Peter’s Sq., the pontiff decried new assaults in opposition to civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine within the days since Russia launched the largest aerial assault of the three-year conflict.
“I renew with vigour my attraction to cease the conflict and to help each initiative of dialogue and peace,” mentioned the pope.
The pope’s attraction, made in Italian, got here on the finish of his viewers, when he added some transient feedback to his ready textual content, reviews Reuters.
Russia lots greater than 50,000 troops for offensive on north-eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Russia has massed greater than 50,000 troops, together with a few of its greatest forces, close to Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy area, however Kyiv has taken steps to stop them from conducting a large-scale offensive, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned, in accordance with Reuters.
The buildup comes as Russia seems to be gearing up for a summer time offensive in Ukraine whereas Kyiv waits for Moscow to current a memorandum laying out its circumstances to proceed with ceasefire talks.
Sumy lies throughout the border from Russia’s Kursk area the place Ukraine beforehand seized and held a pocket of land for months, earlier than being virtually totally pushed out final month, though it says it nonetheless holds some small areas there.
“Their largest, strongest forces are at present on the Kursk entrance,” Zelenskyy instructed reporters on Tuesday. “To push our troops out of the Kursk area and to organize offensive actions in opposition to the Sumy area.”
Vladimir Putin has mentioned he needs a “buffer zone” alongside Russia’s border with Ukraine. Zelenskyy mentioned he believed Russia needs to carve out an space of Ukrainian territory about 10km (6 miles) deep.
Russia has captured a minimum of 4 border villages within the area lately, and has been creeping slowly forwards over the previous a number of weeks on components of the frontline in jap Ukraine close to the town of Kostiantynivka. Nonetheless, the Ukrainian chief mentioned that the Russians had been pushed again in that space by 4km (2.5 miles) over two days, reviews Reuters.
Zelenskyy instructed reporters in a briefing that his authorities was prepared for additional peace talks in any format. He mentioned he anticipated the following spherical to be at a technical degree, however mentioned he can be prepared for a three-way assembly with US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He mentioned he didn’t need the USA to depart the Ukraine peace course of, as Washington has threatened to do if progress isn’t made.
