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DW
an hour ago
- DW
EU plan to penalize Israel still stalled amid famine warning – DW – 08/13/2025
A proposal to restrict Israeli access to some EU funds over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is going nowhere for now. Germany is among those blocking the move. Two weeks after the European Commission laid out a plan to impose first-of-their-kind penalties on Israel, the proposal remains stalled due to disagreements among the bloc's members. Germany is among the hold-outs asking for more time to review, European Union (EU) diplomats told DW. Without Berlin's backing, the plan is unlikely to advance. "Humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels, with famine unfolding before our eyes," the EU's executive warned on Tuesday. In a bid to pressure Israel to change course, it proposed barring Israeli startups from accessing part of a pot of EU research funding known as "Horizon Europe" in late July. That marked a shift in the EU's approach: the first time the bloc moved to back a year and a half of critical words with action. "With its intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, including thousands of civilian deaths and rapidly rising numbers of spreading extreme malnutrition specifically of children, Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law and thus is in breach of an essential principle of the EU-Israel cooperation," the European Commission wrote in its proposal on July 28. Belgium's foreign minister Maxime Prevot had floated August 13 as a possible date for adoption if consensus was reached, but EU sources told DW there was little shift in positions at a virtual meeting of EU ministers on Monday. That means for now, there's no green light. To kick in, the EU plan needs support from a so-called qualified majority of the bloc's 27 member states, a system under which more populous countries' views carry most weight. Israel's foreign ministry called Brussels' proposal to restrict funds "regrettable," and claimed any such punitive measures would only serve to "strengthen Hamas" — something the bloc refutes. The stall in EU action has drawn outrage from campaigners and human rights watchdogs, which have long accused the bloc of failing to use potential leverage. "The fact that the EU cannot even agree on the smallest step is a disgrace. The bar is on the floor, and yet the EU and some EU countries are still managing to trip over it," Oxfam's Bushra Khalidi told DW. The internal divisions keeping action on pause are nothing new. Ever since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the bloc has been united in its condemnation of the militant group — classed as a terrorist organization by the EU — and in its call for the release of Israeli hostages. But that's where the unity ends. Every word in every statement on Europe's ties with Israel has been fiercely debated ever since. The schism among EU members now centers on whether and how to respond to an EU review which found Israeli actions in Gaza — from restricting aid entry to targeting journalists — likely amount to a breach of the deal that governs EU-Israel trade and ties. In a leaked letter seen by DW, Israel blasted the EU investigation as a "moral and methodological failure" based on biased evidence, but the bloc sticks by its findings. Now Spain, often seen as a fierce critic of the Israeli government, is calling for the entire EU-Israel pact to be suspended. Other EU members including the Netherlands and Sweden — traditionally seen as less critical of Israel — want to freeze the trade element of the deal. The move would make it more difficult and expensive for Israeli firms to export to the EU, Israel's top trading partner. Germany on the other hand views itself as having a historic responsibility toward Israeli security, due to its Nazi past and its systemic murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. Though Berlin is holding out on the first EU-level measures, Chancellor Merz announced last week that Germany would halt exports of arms "that can be used in the Gaza Strip"by Israeli forces, signalling a shift in tone. The EU says its priority is get aid flowing into Gaza in the face of a deepening humanitarian crisis — and after threatening sanctions, the bloc announced what appeared to be a breakthrough last month. "Significant steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said a July 10 statement on the so-called "common understanding" — which Germany also helped broker. But weeks on, many EU capitals say this falls far short. With proposals for action caught in institutional deadlock, EU officials continue their words of condemnation. "I call for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages by Hamas & Islamic Jihad," EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib said on August 3, adding that she also calls "on Israel to end its starvation of Gaza and to allow for an effective delivery of humanitarian aid at scale."
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
What Ukrainians expect of the Putin-Trump summit – DW – 08/13/2025
Are Ukrainian experts and politicians optimistic about the upcoming talks between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska? Or do they doubt there will be a real breakthrough? Soon after the August 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska was announced, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put out a video warning against excluding his country from the talks: "Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are decisions made against peace. They will not work." Many Ukrainians share this view, according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in late July and early August. "Ukrainians remain open to negotiations and making difficult decisions," Anton Hruschezkyj of KIIS told DW. "The absolute majority, however, continues to reject demands for [Ukrainian] surrender." According to the survey, 76% of Ukrainians reject Russia's "peace plan" and the idea of making concessions to Russia. At the same time, 49% oppose the US peace plan that entails security guarantees for Ukraine from European countries but not from the US, recognizes Crimea as part of the Russian Federation, maintains Russian control over Ukraine's occupied territories, and lifts sanctions against Russia. Ukrainians do not rule out that the upcoming negotiations between Putin and Trump, which will not have Ukrainian or European representatives present, will be aimed at forcing Ukraine to capitulate. "The Russians never changed their negotiating stance and will not do so as long as they do not suffer serious military and political defeats," Volodymyr Horbach of the Ukrainian Institute for Northern Eurasia Transformation (INET) told DW. The fact that Trump is talking to Putin without first pressuring Russia to change its stance shows that this approach is doomed to failure, Horbach says. "The Russians will stick to their position and want to offer a ceasefire in return for Ukraine's de facto surrender, in other words, fulfilling Russian demands. So calling this concessions is very naive," Horbach said. The analyst does not regard the upcoming Putin-Trump talks as a disaster, but says they signal an "alarming trend" as Trump is "legitimizing Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin, which is unacceptable to Ukraine and Europe." Horbach said he sees "no possibility of implementing any real, practical outcomes of these negotiations in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian war. The proposals that Putin may make will satisfy neither Ukraine nor the European Union." He added that "Trump will have to maneuver, he will not be able to force Ukraine and its European partners to accept Putin's terms." Ukraine was in a similar situation in March 2025, says Dmytro Levus, who heads the Ukrainian Meridian Social Research Center. At the time, Donald Trump believed that the war could be quickly ended by negotiating with Russia and enforcing a peace agreement based on Ukraine's surrender. Lifting sanctions on Russia, however, proved impossible, as most of them had been imposed by the Europeans, Levus said. He believes that after this Alaska meeting, the US and Russia will once again have to face reality — Ukrainian forces continue defending their country and Ukrainian's European partners will not unconditionally accept and implement any deal agreed between Putin and Trump. "Ukraine's position, as stated by Zelenskyy, is clear and correct: the [Ukrainian] constitution does not allow for the ceding of [Ukrainian] territory," Levus told DW. "That is why I do not expect anything meaningful to come out of the Alaska meeting." Iryna Herashchenko, one of the leaders of Ukraine's opposition European Solidarity Party, says the Putin-Trump meeting represents a challenge for the entire international security system. She explains that it would signal to the whole world that violence can go unpunished if Russia, the aggressor, is rewarded for its attack on Ukraine, for annexing parts of the country and for committing war crimes. That is why Herashchenko says recognizing Russian occupation is a red line that must not be crossed. "This would pave the way for new wars, not only in our region," Herashchenko said on Telegram. "That is why all negotiations should be conducted with the participation of Ukraine and the EU, with strict security guarantees, international monitoring, and provisions for sanctions." Anything else would not bring peace, but only lead to new war. Danylo Hetmantsev of Ukraine's rulingServant of the People party takes a more positive view of the upcoming talks, saying the summit will finally reveal Russia's stance. "If there are once again attempts at 'diplomatic maneuvering' instead of productive negotiations at the meeting, this will likely lead to the imposition of tough American sanctions, including on Russia's allies, who will have to pay for supporting the aggressor, which they will not like," Hetmantsev said on Telegram. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At the same time, Ukrainian experts do not rule out that the US will once again try blackmailing Ukraine into accepting unacceptable conditions after the Putin-Trump summit. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy lecturer and Ukrainian Prism think tank researcher Oleksandr Kraiev believes that Trump could threaten to halt arms deliveries to Ukraine. "But [weapons] deliveries are already sporadic and unsystematic, so it won't be as much of a shock as when Trump first announced something like this," Kraiev told DW. He believes the summit will be purely held for the "sake of talks," as neither side has any real idea of how the war should end. "There could be a joint statement on continuing the talks, but that's all," Kraiev said.
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: 'A ceasefire must come first,' Merz says – DW – 08/13/2025
After a video call with US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that "a ceasefire must come first in any agreement" regarding Ukraine. DW has more. European and Ukrainian leaders have talked with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon. They wanted to warn him not to compromise Kyiv's interests while seeking a ceasefire deal in his meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Friday. The meeting has raised concerns that Trump may pressure Ukraine into a bad deal. He has suggested that both sides should give up some territory to end the war."A ceasefire must come first in any agreement," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin after the teleconference with US President Donald Trump. Merz added that a legal recognition of Russian ownership of Ukraine cannot happen. He also said if there is no movement from Russia towards peace, "the US and the Europeans need to increase the pressure." "We wish President Trump all the best," Merz said, adding that leaders will talk to Trump following his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Merz and Zelenskyy will now head into a video call between members of the Coalition of the Willing, a loose partnership of some 30 countries supporting Ukraine, led by the United Kingdom and France, on the outcome of the discussions with Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders have begun talks via video link with US President Donald Trump about his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We'll bring you the latest updates as we get them. As we wait for details on the talks, here's where things stand on the front line in Ukraine: The Russian army on Wednesday said it had captured two villages near the coal-mining town of Dobropillia — around 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the key strategic city of Pokrovsk. "The settlements of Suvorovo and Nikanorivka in the Donetsk People's Republic have been liberated," Russia's Defence Ministry said on social media, referring to Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Moscow has made rapid gains in the area in recent days. Russia currently controls 114,500 square kilometers (44,600 square miles), or 19%, of Ukraine, including all of Crimea, all of Luhansk, and more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arranged a series of virtual meetings in an attempt to have the voice of Europe and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy heard ahead of the summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday. Here is what is happening this afternoon: US President Donald Trump took to his Truth social media platform to say he would speak to "European Leaders in a short while." "They are great people who want to see a deal done," he added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Chancellor Friedrich Merz's office in Berlin to join him and other European leaders for a video call with US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy was welcomed by Merz, who organized the video conferences on short notice in a bid to make sure Kyiv and its European partners remain in the loop amid Trump's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Russia dismissed virtual talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European leaders and US President Donald Trump as "insignificant." "We consider the consultations sought by the Europeans to be politically and practically insignificant," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexey Fadeev said. "The Europeans verbally support the diplomatic efforts of Washington and Moscow to resolve the crisis around Ukraine, but in fact the European Union is sabotaging them," he added. On Tuesday, the EU warned against redrawing Ukrainian borders by force. The warning followed comments by Trump, who said Ukraine would have to give up some Russian-held territory. He made the remarks ahead of Friday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russian President Vladimir Putin's position on ending the war in Ukraine has remained unchanged since June 2024, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexey Fadeev said. At the time, Putin said Russia would agree to a ceasefire and enter peace talks if Ukraine withdrew its forces from four regions claimed by Moscow. "Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions," Putin said, referring to regions of Ukraine that Russia has illegally claimed to control. He also said Kyiv would need to abandon any ambitions of joining NATO. US President Donald Trump and Putin are expected to discuss a path toward ending Moscow's war in Ukraine during a face-to-face meeting on Friday. Trump said he wants to determine whether Putin is serious about ending the four-year war, calling the summit a "feel-out meeting" to gauge the Russian leader's intentions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has not been invited to Friday's meeting, said there is "currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war." Estonia is expelling a Russian diplomat over "ongoing interference" in the NATO and EU member nation's affairs, the Baltic country's Foreign Ministry said. The first secretary of the Russian embassy in Tallinn has been declared persona non grata by Estonia and must leave the country. "The diplomat in question has been directly and actively involved in undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia, as well as in dividing Estonian society, contributing to the crimes against the state, including several offences related to sanctions violations," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. "The Russian embassy's ongoing interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Estonia must end," he added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev described the expulsion as a hostile act that would prompt a response Viktor Orban, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Europe, said Ukraine has lost the war against Russia. The Hungarian prime minister told the far-right conservative news site "The Ukrainians have lost this war, Russia has won the war. "We are talking like this was a situation of war with an open end," Orban added. On Tuesday, Orban was the only EU leader who did not back a declaration calling for Ukrainian and European involvement in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The statement demanded that Ukraine's territorial integrity be ensured, stating that "international borders must not be changed by force." But Orban said the declaration "set conditions for negotiations to which EU leaders were not even invited." The Hungarian leader has consistently opposed EU measures to punish Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its allies must pressure Russia to ensure a just peace. "We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception on the part of Russia. There are currently no signs that the Russians are preparing to end the war," Zelenskyy said on social media. The Ukrainian president was traveling to Berlin to join Chancellor Merz in video calls with European leaders and US President Donald Trump ahead of a US-Russia summit at a US military base outside Anchorage, Alaska. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a media conference in Berlin this afternoon, according to the German Chancellery's schedule. The conference, scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT), will follow virtual talks with US President Donald Trump ahead of his planned summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. With Donald Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska approaching, territorial concessions in exchange for peace are high on the agenda. Trump has talked about Russia and Ukraine "swapping land," but how feasible is that? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend a trio of video calls in person with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is hosting the meetings with US President Donald Trump as well as European leaders. "The president is working in Berlin today," Zelenskyy's spokesperson said, adding that a bilateral meeting with Merz is also planned. US President Donald Trump will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a virtual meeting hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meeting comes two days before Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Merz has invited Zelenskyy, along with leaders from France, the United Kingdom, and other EU and NATO officials, to join the call ahead of the talks with Trump. Trump and Vice President JD Vance will then participate in a second round of discussions. Afterward, Ukraine's military European backers, including Germany, France and the UK, will also convene. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The talks come ahead of Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, their first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. EU leaders have reaffirmed Ukraine's right to self-determination and rejected any changes to borders by force. Zelenskyy has ruled out withdrawing troops from the Donbas region. Merz's office said Wednesday's discussions will focus on increasing pressure on Russia and preparing for potential peace negotiations.
