Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy, Starmer meet in London – DW – 08/14/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as European leaders prepare a unified stance on Ukraine ahead of US President Donald Trump's Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has warned his Russian counterpart of "very severe consequences" if the latter fails to agree to stop the war in Ukraine after their Friday summit in Alaska.
Meanwhile, Russian forces said they intercepted and destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones overnight.Friday's summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be held at a US military base in the Alaskan city of Anchorage. The venue has symbolism for both countries, with a shared history and strategic proximity.
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US President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London on Thursday to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as European leaders work to present a unified stance on Ukraine ahead of the summit.
Starmer greeted Zelenskyy with a hug and handshake on the steps of 10 Downing Street.
Zelenskyy arrived in the British capital from Germany, where he took part in a Berlin-hosted virtual meeting Wednesday with European and NATO leaders and Trump
Trump said his talks with Putin would aim to "set the table" for a timely follow-up that would include Zelenskyy.
"If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there."
Starmer on Wednesday called the summit "hugely important."
He said there was finally a chance for a solution to the conflict "because of the work that the president [Trump] has put in."
The British prime minister added that he was prepared to support further sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin fails to engage.
US President Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of "very severe consequences" if he fails to agree to end the war in Ukraine following their summit Friday in Alaska.
Trump stopped short of specifying what those consequences might be.
His remarks came after a virtual meeting hosted by Germany that included leaders from Ukraine, the United Kingdom and France.
During the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin was "bluffing" about seeking peace.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London this morning, meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
European leaders are working to present a united front in support of Kyiv ahead of Friday's much-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. We expect to get more details of that meeting today.
Zelenskyy, for his part, has accused Putin of 'bluffing.'
Stay with this blog for the latest on summit preparations and updates from the battlefield in Ukraine.
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Afghanistan: Are the Taliban still isolated after 4 years? – DW – 08/14/2025
The fall of Kabul four years ago marked the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. The country is still in a deep humanitarian crisis, but the militants have found ways to use this to their advantage. In August 2021, the government in Kabul collapsed and gave way to the Taliban in wake of the US pulling its forces out of Afghanistan. Four year later, the Taliban seem to have a firm grip on power. So firm, in fact, that some governments, including the one in Germany, are stealthily building ties to the de-facto government in Kabul. Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban in early July. "In this way, Russia is taking over the US role in Afghanistan, which the US gave up voluntarily with the withdrawal of its troops four years ago," says Sardar Rahimi, international relations researcher from the Inalco University in Paris. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video China is also maintaining close economic and political ties to the Taliban regime. Beijing has not officially recognized the Taliban government, but President Xi Jinping notably accepted the Taliban ambassador's letters of credentials with full honors prescribed by diplomatic protocol in January 2024. China needs Afghanistan and its raw materials for its global infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). According to Rahimi, the West must face the fact that the Taliban control every aspect of public life in Afghanistan. "This is also the foundation of ties between other countries and the Taliban regime," he told DW. Germany has organized two deportation flights to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. A total of 109 Afghan nationals were sent to their home country — over half of them were convicted felons. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For this to happen, the Taliban authorities needs to confirm the migrants' citizenship — usually by issuing a passport or a similar travel document. This has made it necessary for German officials to hold intensive talks with the regime. In July, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has confirmed there was communication with the Taliban on a technical level. Speaking with the RedaktionsNetzwerk media group, he said this was strictly a practical matter without political or legal implications. "The German government needs to communicate with many regimes and government whose opinions and acts we do not approve. Still, sometimes our interests demand that we stay in some sort of contact. Everything else would be a denial of reality," he said at the time. Human rights groups such as Pro Asyl decry the deportation flights as "a blatant violation of international law." The European Convention on Human Rights, an international treaty, prohibits deportations to countries where there is a danger of inhumane treatment. The number of deportees from Europe, however, fades in comparison to the mass deportations from Afghanistan's neighbors Iran and Pakistan. The UN's refugee agency UNHCR has registered over 2.1 million deportations from those two countries just in the first seven months of 2025. Half of the repatriations were conducted forcefully, according to the agency. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The massive influx of returnees poses an immense challenge for the Taliban regime, as the ex-migrants return to the country without accommodation, work, or income. However, this humanitarian disaster is playing into the Taiban hands. The extremist group is using the crisis to ensure maximum control and they feel the West is humiliated by seeking to communicate with Kabul. The Taliban do not provide extensive information on what happens to the returnees once they are in the country. Independent watchdog groups report sustained and systematic violations of human rights in Afghanistan. Women's rights especially are being used as a bargaining chip, says Shukria Barakzai, a former Afghani diplomat. "The Taliban use women for their own goals," she told DW. "They increase pressure on women with new limitations in order to legitimize their rule." Women have been fully removed from public life in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Some 1.4 million girls aged 12 and above are no longer allowed to attend school, and young women have been banned from high schools and universities. Human rights organizations are seeing gender-based violence towards women and girls all over the country. At the same time, government critics and journalists fear persecution from the Islamist regime. According to Reporters without Borders (RSF) at least 12 journalists were shot in 2024, and the Taliban are known to raid media outlets, detain or persecute media employees and censor their reports. The country is ranked as 175 out 180 nations on press freedom. With poverty rampant in Afghanistan, nearly 23 million people are dependent on foreign aid, according to EU Commission data. This is roughly half of the country's population. The UN's World Food Programme estimates that every fourth Afghan faces food insecurity, and every third child is malnourished. The humanitarian crisis escalated last month when the US dissolved USAID, causing three million people to lose access to medical care and 420 clinics to close. Germany has paid €551 million ($644 million) in development aid for Afghanistan since 2021. The Taliban have no influence on projects funded by German tax payers, according to Germany's Economic Development and Cooperation Ministry, with the funds directed to the World Bank, the UN agencies and NGOs. However, the new German government has halted the relocation program for Afghans who worked for Germany in Afghanistan before 2021. Up to 2,400 of these people currently have permission to relocate to Germany, but are not able to obtain a visa that would allow them to actually make the trip. They are stuck in legal limbo and forced to remain in Iran or Pakistan, facing acute danger of being deported. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In early July, a Berlin court ruled that an Afghan woman and her family need to be given German visas after waiting in Pakistan for over year. The Afghans face "danger to life and limb" in Pakistan, according to the German judge. However, the German government has refused to comply and instead asked a higher court to review the decision.
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy, Starmer meet in London – DW – 08/14/2025
The two leaders are following up on a virtual meeting hosted by Germany, which they attended with President Trump. He warned of 'very severe' consequences if Putin does not end the war. Follow DW for the latest updates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as European leaders prepare a unified stance on Ukraine ahead of US President Donald Trump's Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has warned his Russian counterpart of "very severe consequences" if the latter fails to agree to stop the war in Ukraine after their Friday summit in Alaska. Meanwhile, Russian forces said they intercepted and destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be held at a US military base in the Alaskan city of Anchorage. The venue has symbolism for both countries, with a shared history and strategic proximity. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London on Thursday to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as European leaders work to present a unified stance on Ukraine ahead of the summit. Starmer greeted Zelenskyy with a hug and handshake on the steps of 10 Downing Street. Zelenskyy arrived in the British capital from Germany, where he took part in a Berlin-hosted virtual meeting Wednesday with European and NATO leaders and Trump Trump said his talks with Putin would aim to "set the table" for a timely follow-up that would include Zelenskyy. "If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there." Starmer on Wednesday called the summit "hugely important." He said there was finally a chance for a solution to the conflict "because of the work that the president [Trump] has put in." The British prime minister added that he was prepared to support further sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin fails to engage. US President Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of "very severe consequences" if he fails to agree to end the war in Ukraine following their summit Friday in Alaska. Trump stopped short of specifying what those consequences might be. His remarks came after a virtual meeting hosted by Germany that included leaders from Ukraine, the United Kingdom and France. During the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin was "bluffing" about seeking peace. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London this morning, meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. European leaders are working to present a united front in support of Kyiv ahead of Friday's much-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. We expect to get more details of that meeting today. Zelenskyy, for his part, has accused Putin of 'bluffing.' Stay with this blog for the latest on summit preparations and updates from the battlefield in Ukraine.
DW
5 hours ago
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Germany updates: Border checks cost over €80 million – DW – 08/14/2025
Germany's heightened border checks to curb irregular migration come with a price tag. Meanwhile, it's another day of sweltering temperatures as a European heatwave continues. DW has the latest. The German government has implemented heightened border checks since September of last year to fight irregular migration and crime. Now, German newspapers are reporting that the border checks have cost €80.5 million since they were introduced last year. Meanwhile, it's another hot day in Germany with temperatures expected to be as much as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southwestern parts of the country. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week also experienced scorching temperatures, as a European heatwave continues. Germany faces another day of high temperatures on Thursday, after earlier facing scorching heat on Tuesday and Wednesday. In parts of southwestern Germany, temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) are expected, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). In the major western city of Cologne, high temperatures of 33 degrees C are expected. Parts of northern Germany will see less brutal temperatures, with Hamburg witnessing a high of 26 degrees C. Temperatures are also peaking in other parts of Europe. On the island of Cyprus, temperatures are expected to be as high as 45 degrees C. Germany's heightened border checks with its neighboring countries have cost the government at least €80.5 million ($93.4 million) so far, the German Funke Media Group of newspapers reported on Thursday based on German Interior Ministry data. The border checks began on September 16, 2024 under previous center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government. These checks have continued under his successor, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office on May 6. According to the Funke Media Group reports, the most expensive part of the border checks is the compensation for police officers who are performing the inspections. The cost of overtime work for the officers from September 2024 to June 2025 was €37.9 million. On a quarterly basis, the border checks cost between €24 to €29.1 million. The German Interior Ministry said from April to June of this year, €2.6 million was spent on "working at inconvenient times." The officers at the checkpoints are working 24/7, which means they have to be paid for more costly night and Sunday shifts. Around €8 million was spent on hotels and catering for officers employed in the border checks from April to June. The operation of the border stations cost a little under €2 million during that same time frame. Border checks within Europe's free movement Schengen Area are only expected to be temporary. Germany has implemented the checks to combat irregular migration and crime, with Merz's government seeking to use the checks to turn back migrants at the German borders. As many as 14,000 German federal officers are employed at the border checkpoints across the country. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany borders several major European economies, such as France, Poland and the Netherlands. The border checks have made life more complicated for daily commuters who go back and forth between Germany and other European countries for work or to study. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the conservative Bavaria-based Christian Social Union (CSU) party, wants to extend the border checks beyond September. Members of the opposition socialist Left Party and environmentalist Green Party have criticized Germany's European border checks as "illegal" and have called for them to end. from the Bonn online news team and welcome to our daily blog covering current affairs in Germany. Today we are taking a look at how much it costs the German government to carry out border checks with its neighboring countries, such as Poland, Austria and France. The move, which was implemented last September, has caused headaches for commuters and sparked criticism from the political opposition. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video We are also observing another day of hot temperatures in Germany and Europe. Stay tuned for not only the latest news pertaining to Germany, but also analysis, on-the-ground insight from DW correspondents and multimedia content on Europe's biggest economy.
