Russia's upgraded drone tactics bring intensified attacks across Ukraine
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
U.K., Germany sign treaty on defence, trade and migration
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a landmark treaty on Thursday that pledges to tighten defence ties, as European nations try to protect Ukraine, and themselves, from an aggressive Russia in the face of wavering support from President Donald Trump's U.S.-focused administration. Merz said it was 'a historic day for German-British relations' as he signed an agreement that also commits the two countries to boost investment and strengthen law-enforcement cooperation against criminal people-smuggling gangs using the English Channel. 'We want to work together more closely, particularly after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union,' Merz said. 'It is overdue for us to conclude such a treaty with each other.' The treaty builds on a defence pact the U.K. and Germany, two of the biggest European supporters of Ukraine, signed last year committing to closer co-operation against the growing threat from Russia. It includes a promise to 'assist one another, including by military means, in case of an armed attack on the other,' though it's unclear what practical impact that will have, since both countries are NATO members and bound by the alliance's mutual defence pact. Starmer said the treaty – signed at London's V&A Museum, which is named after Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert – sealed a 'partnership with a purpose.' 'We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today, and we intend to meet them head on,' Starmer said during a joint news conference at an Airbus defence and space factory north of London. The U.K.-Germany treaty follows agreements signed during a state visit last week by President Emmanuel Macron, in which France and Britain pledged to coordinate their nuclear deterrents for the first time. Trump promised Patriots for Ukraine. Now Europe has to provide them Germany does not have nuclear weapons. The treaty with Britain says the countries will 'maintain a close dialogue on defence issues of mutual interest ... including on nuclear issues.' The treaty stressed a 'shared commitment to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and underpinned by enhanced European contributions' – a nod to Trump, who has demanded European NATO members greatly increase military spending. Germany and the U.K. have both promised to raise defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in the coming years. Merz, making his first trip to the U.K. since taking office in May, said it was 'no coincidence' he traveled to London a week after Macron. 'The E3 – Great Britain, France and Germany – are converging in their positions on foreign policy, on security policy, on migration policy, but also on economic policy issues,' he said. Merz and Starmer discussed ways to boost European support for Ukraine, following Trump's announcement of a plan to bolster Kyiv's stockpile by selling American weapons to NATO allies who would in turn send arms to Kyiv. Merz signaled that those plans are still a work in progress, saying it might take 'days, perhaps weeks' before weapons reach Ukraine. He said that 'above all, we need clarity on how weapons systems that are given up from the European side will be replaced by the U.S.' During the trip the leaders announced that German defence startup Stark, which makes drones for Ukraine, will open a factory in England. They also agreed to jointly produce defence exports such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets, and to develop a deep precision strike missile in the next decade. Starmer also praised Merz for his help curbing the smuggling gangs that brought 37,000 people across the English Channel from France in small boats in 2024, and more than 22,000 so far in 2025. Dozens have died attempting the journey. Berlin agreed last year to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the U.K. a criminal offence, a move that will give law enforcement more powers to investigate the supply and storage of small boats to be used for the crossings. Merz committed to adopting the law change by the end of the year, a move Starmer said 'is hugely welcome.' Starmer has worked to improve relations with Britain's neighbours, strained by the U.K.'s acrimonious departure from the European Union in 2020. He has sought to rebuild ties strained by years of ill-tempered wrangling over Brexit terms, and worked to reduce trade barriers and to strengthen defence cooperation. But he has ruled out rejoining the 27-nation bloc's single market or customs union, and has been cool to the idea of a youth mobility agreement with the EU. Britain and Germany agreed on a more limited arrangement that will make it easier for schoolchildren to go on exchange trips. 'I am glad we were able to reach an agreement so that schoolchildren and students can come to Britain more easily in the future, and the other way round can come to Germany more easily, so that the young generation in particular has an opportunity to get to know both countries better,' Merz said.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Ukraine to boost domestic arms production to counter Russia's invasion, says Zelenskyy
KYIV, Ukraine -- A new Ukrainian government approved Thursday will race to expand domestic arms production to meet half the country's weapons needs within six months as it tries to push back Russia's invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Meanwhile, Switzerland said Thursday that the U.S. Defense Department had informed it that Washington is diverting a Swiss order for Patriot air defense systems to help Ukraine, which badly needs to improve its response to increasingly heavy Russian aerial attacks. Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine The Swiss Defence Ministry, which in 2022 ordered five Patriot systems, said Thursday it has been informed by the U.S. Defense Department that it will 'reprioritize the delivery of Patriot systems to support Ukraine.' It was not immediately clear whether the Swiss-ordered Patriots would go directly to Ukraine or would replace units in other European countries that may be donated to Kyiv. Delivery to Switzerland of the systems, worth billions of dollars, was scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2028. But the Swiss government said Washington informed it of the delay on Wednesday, adding that it was unclear how many systems would be affected. The need to adequately arm Ukraine's military is pressing as Russia looks to drive forward its summer offensive after three years of war and pounds Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles. It remains unclear when the promised U.S.-made weapons, especially the Patriot systems, might reach Ukraine. Trump has agreed to send the weaponry, but it will be paid for by European countries. No timeframe for foreign weapons in Ukraine The U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said he couldn't give a timeframe for when Ukraine might get extra foreign weapons. 'We are all moving with haste to facilitate this and get this done. Things are actually moving very quickly, but I can't verify a date that this will all be completed. I think it's going to be an ongoing movement,' he told reporters in Brussels. 'The plan is that there will be American-made defence equipment, capabilities, that will be sold to our European allies, that they will provide to Ukraine,' he said. British Defence Secretary John Healey said Thursday he and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius will chair a meeting of Ukraine's allies on Monday to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's weapons plans. Healey said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO leader Mark Rutte will attend the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, told The Associated Press Thursday that 'preparations are underway' for weapons transfers to Ukraine and that NATO is working 'very closely' with Germany to transfer Patriot systems. Grynkewich said at a military event in Wiesbaden, Germany, that he had been ordered to 'move (the weapons) out as quickly as possible.' He said the number of weapons being transferred is classified. German Defense Ministry spokesperson Mitko Muller said Wednesday he couldn't confirm that anything is currently on its way to Ukraine. Rutte, the NATO chief, said in Washington on Monday that the alliance is co-ordinating the military support with funding from allies in Europe and Canada. He said there were commitments from Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada, 'with more expected to follow.' Ukraine now makes 40% of its own weapons Ukraine's domestic defense manufacturing already accounts for almost 40 per cent of weapons used by the Ukrainian military, according to Zelenskyy. As uncertainty grows about how many more weapons shipments Western countries can provide -- and how quickly -- Ukraine is keen to increase its output and widen its strikes on Russian soil. 'What we need is greater capacity to push the war back onto Russia's territory -- back to where the war was brought from,' Zelenskyy said late Wednesday in his nightly video address. 'We must reach the level of 50 per cent Ukrainian-made weapons within the first six months of the new government's work by expanding our domestic production.' Ukraine has also developed its own long-range drones, which it uses to strike deep inside Russia. Russian air defences shot down 122 Ukrainian drones overnight, the country's defence ministry said Thursday. The wave of drones caused flights to be grounded at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg, although most of the drones were reportedly destroyed over the border regions of Bryansk and Kursk. Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with 64 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, killing at least one person, the Ukrainian air force reported. The assault centered on the industrial Dnipropetrovsk region, officials said. In other developments: Russia on Thursday sent to Ukraine 1,000 bodies, including some of the country's fallen soldiers, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said. At the same time, Russia received the bodies of 19 soldiers, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said. The exchange was part of a deal reached at direct peace talks last May and June that produced few other agreements between the sides. ------ By Volodymyr Yurchuk And Emma Burrows Burrows reported from Wiesbaden, Germany. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Zelenskyy appoints a new prime minister for a war-weary nation
KYIV, Ukraine — Fresh off securing a plan to receive more U.S. weaponry, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a new prime minister -- the key negotiator of his country's deal with the U.S. to partner on the development of rare earth minerals. By naming Yulia Svyrydenko, the former economy minister, to become the country's first new head of government since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy on Thursday elevated a loyal politician who has experience in diplomacy with the U.S. and other Western nations. In addition to negotiating the U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement, the 39-year-old Svyrydenko has represented Ukraine in a wide range of high-level talks with Western partners, including on issues of defense and economic recovery and reconstruction. In 2022, she negotiated with other countries to impose sanctions on Russia. The outgoing prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, will become defense minister at a time when Ukraine is looking to ramp up domestic weapons production, and as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to bring an end to the war. 'War leaves no room for delay,' Svyrydenko said on X after the parliament voted to approved her promotion. 'We must act swiftly and decisively. Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic weapons production, and boosting the technological strength of our defense forces.' Svyrydenko and Shmyhal are among a wider group of officials taking on new leadership roles as Zelenskyy aims to reenergize a war-weary nation. But to Ukrainians, the reshuffling of the Cabinet is not seen as a major shift in direction for Zelenskyy, who will still be mostly relying on the same experienced officials, as opposed to introducing new faces to his leadership team. Earlier this week, Trump endorsed a plan to have European allies buy billions of dollars of U.S. military equipment -- including air-defense systems -- that can be transferred to Ukraine, which has come under intense Russian attacks. 'We all want peace as soon as possible,' Zelenskyy said Thursday in a speech to Ukraine's parliament. 'At the same time, we all see how difficult it is to maintain sufficient global support, and how many other wars and crises are flaring up around the world, truly scattering global efforts. Therefore, Ukraine needs more of its own strength.' In announcing the weapons plan on Monday, Trump also made an ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin, promising to impose stiff tariffs on countries that purchase its oil if he doesn't agree to a ceasefire within 50 days. Shmyhal, who announced his resignation as prime minister on Tuesday, was the longest-serving head of government in Ukraine's history, serving since March 2020. Shmyhal will replace Rustem Umerov as defense minster. Although Umerov sought to push reforms, critics said the ministry under his command was plagued by mismanagement. Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy nominated Olga Stefanishyna to become Ukraine's next ambassador to the United States. In the meantime, he appointed Stefanishyna, previously the minister for European integration, as the special representative for the development of cooperation with the United States. Ties between Ukraine and the U.S. have been uneasy since Trump returned to the White House in January, and Zelenskyy had previously said he intended to replace Oksana Markarova as Ukrainian ambassador in the U.S. Hanna Arhirova, The Associated Press
