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Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Germany, Ukraine to jointly produce long-range weapons
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory. He said both countries' defence ministers would sign a memorandum of understanding for the production of long-range weapons systems, declining to provide technical details or name the manufacturers involved. 'There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,' he told a joint press conference. Zelensky's Berlin visit comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks of the conflict on Ukraine, and as US President Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president accused Russia of stalling peace talks and said Moscow did not want to halt its three-year invasion, adding that 'they will constantly look for reasons not to end the war'. Merz said that 'the massive air strikes, particularly on the city of Kyiv over the weekend, do not speak the language of peace, but rather the language of a war of aggression'. 'This is a slap in the face of all those who are trying to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine itself, but also in Europe and the USA.' He warned that 'the Russian side's refusal to hold talks, the refusal to observe a ceasefire, now really has consequences, and we are drawing these consequences every day'. Merz also pointed to reports that Russia and American investors are hoping to resume Russian gas deliveries through the destroyed Nord Stream pipelines running through the Baltic Sea and vowed that Germany will 'do everything' to ensure this won't happen.
Local Germany
3 days ago
- Business
- Local Germany
Merz says Germany and Ukraine will jointly produce long-range weapons
Both countries' defence ministers later signed a memorandum of understanding for the production of long-range weapons systems, but without revealing technical details or naming the manufacturers involved. "There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory," Merz told a joint press conference. Zelensky's Berlin visit comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks of the conflict on Ukraine, and as US President Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement The Ukrainian president accused Russia of stalling peace talks and said Moscow did not want to halt its three-year invasion, adding that "they will constantly look for reasons not to end the war". Merz said that "the massive air strikes, particularly on the city of Kyiv over the weekend, do not speak the language of peace, but rather the language of a war of aggression". "This is a slap in the face of all those who are trying to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine itself, but also in Europe and the USA." He warned that "the Russian side's refusal to hold talks, the refusal to observe a ceasefire, now really has consequences, and we are drawing these consequences every day". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media when asked about Merz's weapons announcement: "All these actions naturally hinder peace efforts." Advertisement Merz also pointed to reports that Russia and American investors are hoping to resume Russian gas deliveries through the destroyed Nord Stream pipelines running through the Baltic Sea and vowed that Germany will "do everything" to ensure this will not happen. Military-industrial cooperation Merz, who took power early this month, has vowed to keep strongly backing Ukraine, but without giving details of which weapons Germany is sending, in line with a policy of strategic ambiguity. The joint production of long-range weapons "can take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany," he said. "We will not provide any further details until further notice." Merz hailed the project as "the beginning of a new form of military-industrial cooperation between our countries that has great potential". Merz had pointed out in a TV interview this week that already "there are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine -- neither by the British nor by the French nor by us nor by the Americans". "This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia... With very few exceptions, it didn't do that until recently. It can now do that." Germany's defence ministry said the new agreement for direct investment "will enable a significant number of long-range weapons to be produced this year". "The first of these systems can be deployed in the Ukrainian armed forces in just a few weeks," it said, adding that "they are already in service in the Ukrainian armed forces, so no additional training is required." The ministry said Germany was also sending ammunition and small arms and helping with satellite communications and medical gear, as part of a five billion euro tranche of support previously approved by the German parliament. READ ALSO: Military service 'could be made mandatory' says German Defence Minister
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy outlines when sanctions will hit Russian economy hardest
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia will begin to feel the full economic impact of existing sanctions in June 2026, by which time Ukraine also expects a significant deficit in the Russian state budget. Source: Interfax-Ukraine Quote: "June 2026 – we all hope the war will be over by then. But at the same time, we understand that the economic effect of the sanctions on the Russians will be felt. From those already imposed. We believe that starting around summer 2026, their economy will feel this strongly." Details: Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine anticipates a budget deficit for Russia, which may not seem catastrophic due to the shadow nature of much of Russia's economy. However, he added that it is difficult to fully assess what remains hidden and how much Russia has in reserve. Quote: "We can see that their reserves will not grow next year – they will shrink. And they will continue to shrink. The economy will completely change – they will be spending everything on the war." More details: The president also pointed to the growing threat of Russia's military-industrial complex, which relies on components from China, Taiwan, the US and some European companies. Zelenskyy emphasised that around 30 key Russian defence industry companies have contracts with firms in these countries – a situation that could be addressed through stronger sanctions. Background: Earlier reports stated that Russia's coal industry has plunged into a deep crisis following the EU's embargo on fuel supplies and a drop in global prices. The sector is not expected to recover within the next five years. By 2030, seaborne coal exports, which account for over 80% of Russia's coal export volume, will decrease by 10% compared to 2024 levels, reaching 150 million tonnes. It was also reported that the European Union is considering disconnecting more than 20 Russian banks from the international SWIFT payment system, lowering the price cap on Russian oil and banning the Nord Stream gas pipelines as part of a new sanctions package. In the first quarter of 2025, Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping operator, posted a net loss of US$393 million. The company attributed the financial downturn to Western sanctions, which have made fleet management more difficult, led to vessel downtime and caused a significant drop in revenue. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Ukraine's Zelensky to visit Germany on Wednesday to meet Merz
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky is expected to visit Berlin on Wednesday to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz, German media reported on Monday. Der Spiegel magazine said Merz wants to discuss possible steps towards further "technical" peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Merz is also set to inform the Ukrainian president about plans for a new EU sanctions package against Russia, intended to increase the pressure on Moscow to engage in serious negotiations. The German chancellor, who took office earlier this month, has voiced support for the European Commission's proposal to prevent the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea from resuming operations under the new sanctions. During a visit to Kiev earlier this month, Merz, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, had threatened further sanctions on Russia if Moscow did not agree to a 30-day ceasefire. The pressure led Russian President Vladimir Putin to propose direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul for the first time in three years, but the negotiations did not produce any results apart from a prisoner exchange. Zelensky is also due to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
German politician urges talks on restoring Nord Stream
Germany should consider adopting a 'positive approach' toward Moscow that would including restoring the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Michael Kretschmer, the prime minister of the state of Saxony in eastern Germany, has argued. The current hostile policy has been unproductive and has only harmed Germany's economy, the politician, who also serves as one of the deputy heads of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, said in an interview with Die Zeit on Sunday. 'Nord Stream is a possible opening for a conversation with Russia,' Kretschmer suggested, adding that such talks would benefit both nations. The German economy requires at least one-fifth of its gas supplies to come from Russia to function normally, he claimed. He also pointed out that various companies had begun relocating due to high production costs and energy prices. If the situation in the economy does not improve, Germany, not Russia, will have to 'change [its] course in one or two years,' he warned. Kretschmer's stance contrasts sharply with that of his party leader and federal chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Earlier this week, as part of a new sanctions push, Merz expressed support for an EU plan to ban any use of the Nord Stream gas pipelines and to block attempts to revive energy trade with Russia. The head of Saxony considers such an approach counterproductive. 'As long as we say that we don't want anything, we don't want gas supplies, we only impose sanctions, no one will talk to us,' he argued. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline systems were built under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany. Each system consisting of two pipelines was capable of delivering up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Three out of the pipelines' four lines were destroyed by underwater explosions in September 2022 in an act of sabotage that Russia believes was orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies. European gas prices surged after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022 as pipeline gas imports from Russia mostly ceased due to sanctions and the Nord Stream sabotage. In 2021, Russian pipeline gas accounted for 32% of the total demand of the EU and UK, while Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its consumption, according to the European Council.
