German federal police have arrested 49-year-old Martin S. on suspicion of plotting to assassinate more than a dozen politicians and public figures, including Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel. The suspect distributed a list of targets via the dark web and collected donations for assassination bounties.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, including Merz, Macron, and Starmer, advocated for an immediate ceasefire. They propose considering the current line of contact as a starting point for negotiations, supporting Trump's position.
German manufacturer Rheinmetall is opening Europe's largest artillery shell production plant near Hanover on August 27. The enterprise will produce up to 350,000 shells per year after reaching full capacity in 2027.
Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor of the Scholz government, announced his resignation from the Bundestag effective September 1, 2025. He plans to pursue research and teaching abroad, aiming to distance himself from Berlin politics.
Vienna has been chosen as the host city for Eurovision 2026, which will take place at the "Wiener Stadthalle". This became possible thanks to the victory of Austria's representative, Jay Jay, at the 2025 contest.
French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with the leaders of the USA, Ukraine, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and the head of the European Commission. Macron emphasized the importance of a strong Ukrainian army.
European leaders will hold a preparatory meeting with the President of Ukraine in Washington. This will take place before his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House.
European leaders stated that Russia cannot have a veto right on Ukraine's path to the EU and NATO. They also emphasized the absence of restrictions for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and its cooperation with third countries.
European leaders discussed the results of Trump's meeting with Putin and reaffirmed support for Ukraine. They emphasized the need for security guarantees for Ukraine.
The meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska did not yield public results regarding an end to the war in Ukraine. Details of the conversations, particularly in the limousine, remained undisclosed, raising concerns about possible agreements.
President Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for supporting Ukraine ahead of Trump's meeting with Putin. He emphasized that ending the war must be fair. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha added that concessions to the aggressor provoke further aggression.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have signed a new treaty providing for mutual assistance in the event of armed attack and joint development of the Deep Precision Strike missile system. The agreement also covers cooperation in trade, transport, and migration, deepening ties after Brexit.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will sign an agreement on mutual assistance in the event of an armed attack. The document also provides for the joint development of a missile system and measures to mitigate the consequences of Brexit.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated the readiness of the German military to defend NATO's eastern flank, particularly Lithuania, from a possible Russian attack. Germany has already realized the need for rearmament and increased defense spending.
The United Kingdom and Germany are preparing to sign a wide-ranging mutual defence agreement that provides for mutual assistance in the event of strategic threats. The agreement will establish a binding link in security policy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not plan talks with Putin, as previous contacts did not lead to de-escalation.
More than 290,000 people received citizenship in Germany, including 83,000 Syrians and 13,000 Russians, which is six times more than last year. The government has relaxed the citizenship law to attract workers.
Zelenskyy emphasized the need for Taurus missiles. Mertz announced the purchase of Ukrainian long-range systems without restrictions on the Russian Federation and efforts against Nord Stream-2.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine's allies have lifted restrictions on strikes deep into Russia. This has given Ukraine more opportunities to defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia.
German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil denied lifting restrictions on Western long-range weapons strikes on Russian territory. According to him, there are no new decisions on this issue.
On May 9, EU foreign ministers will meet in Kyiv. They will announce the allocation of 1 billion euros for the production of weapons in Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius aims to increase the country's annual defense budget to over 60 billion euros, starting in 2025. In 2024, Germany's regular defense budget amounted to 52 billion euros.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression after a phone call with Zelenskyy. He thanked him for the "trusting partnership".
Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Olaf Scholz, noting Germany's important role in supporting Ukraine and the Chancellor's personal efforts. They discussed further assistance.
Boris Pistorius will retain the post of Defence Minister in the new German government. Other appointments to the coalition between Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) have also been made.
Friedrich Merz announced the first candidates from the CDU for ministerial posts, emphasizing experience and dedication. Among them are Wadephul for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Schneider for transport.
Kyiv has appealed to Italy and other partners to organize a summit on Ukraine. It should take place on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis, with the participation of the USA, Italy, France, Great Britain and Germany.
The German army is negotiating with large companies to organize logistical support for NATO. The German government is preparing a "logistics hub" for NATO in accordance with the strategy.
The future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to visit Paris on May 7, after which he will visit Warsaw and Kyiv. The purpose of the visit is to negotiate with Macron, Tusk and Zelensky.
Former Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak stated that Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz are to blame for the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine.
