Latest news with #UkraineWar
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to meet Trump at the White House next week
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, with the war in Ukraine and trade tensions among the items on the agenda, the German government said Saturday. Merz's office said the new German leader, who took the helm of Europe's biggest economy on May 6, will meet Trump at the White House on Thursday – the first in-person meeting between the two. It said that the meeting will address bilateral relations and international issues such as Russia's war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and trade policy. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming Germany's leader. On Wednesday, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. Germany has a strong interest in defusing trade tensions between the European Union and the United states. Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on goods imported from the 27-nation bloc starting Sunday, but then pushed back the deadline to July 9.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New German Chancellor Merz to meet Trump in White House on Thursday
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Thursday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in Berlin on Saturday. A meeting between the two leaders at the White House, a joint lunch and a subsequent press event are planned, he said. This is the first meeting between the two since Merz took office on May 6. Before that, they had only briefly encountered each other many years ago in New York. Merz will depart for Washington on Wednesday evening after a dinner with the premiers of Germany's 16 federal states in Berlin, Kornelius said. At the state premiers' conference on Thursday, he will be represented his chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, he added. Trump will have the chancellor stay at his guest house, Blair House, next to the White House - a special honour, Kornelius said. The talks in Washington are expected to focus on efforts to end the Ukraine war, NATO's response to growing external threats and the trade dispute between the United States and the European Union. However, the main issue is whether the two can establish a good rapport.
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
New German leader Friedrich Merz will meet Trump at the White House next week
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump , with the war in Ukraine and trade tensions among the items on the agenda, the German government said Saturday. Merz's office said the new German leader, who took the helm of Europe's biggest economy on May 6, will meet Trump at the White House on Thursday — the first in-person meeting between the two.
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
New German leader Friedrich Merz will meet Trump at the White House next week
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, with the war in Ukraine and trade tensions among the items on the agenda, the German government said Saturday. Merz's office said the new German leader, who took the helm of Europe's biggest economy on May 6, will meet Trump at the White House on Thursday — the first in-person meeting between the two. It said that the meeting will address bilateral relations and international issues such as Russia's war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and trade policy. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming Germany's leader. On Wednesday, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. Germany has a strong interest in defusing trade tensions between the European Union and the United states. Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on goods imported from the 27-nation bloc starting Sunday, but then pushed back the deadline to July 9.
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Saturday, May 31. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
SLOVIANSK, UKRAINE - MAY 31: A view of the damaged following the Russian aerial attacks with KAB 250 ... More in a residential area of Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on May 31, 2025. (Photo by Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images) Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,193. Russia's Attacks on Ukraine and War Developments Aiming to create a "buffer zone," Russian forces have seized villages near Sumy, Ukraine's northern regional capital. As 50,000 Russian troops accumulate on Ukraine's border, the Sumy region prepares for a renewed large-scale offensive. More than 200 settlements are under evacuation orders after Russia advanced deeper into Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState reports that 57 square miles have been captured and another 45 are under attack in border areas. On May 29, Russia launched a series of deadly attacks across Ukraine, killing at least seven civilians. A glide bomb strike in the southern Zaporizhia region killed two, a ballistic missile strike on a farm in the southern Mykolaiv province killed one worker and explosives dropped by drone in the southern Kherson province killed two local residents. The day before, Russian troops killed two residents in the northern Sumy region. Ukraine has deployed its first AI-powered drone, capable of delivering and coordinating two strike drones at distances up to 185 miles while slashing mission costs to just $10,000. Ukraine's Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the system's debut on May 29, highlighting its autonomous target selection and capacity for reuse. Ukraine's latest innovation emerges amid the exponential growth of its defense sector, with 800 domestic enterprises producing $9 billion worth of weapons in 2024 and plans underway to procure 4.5 million drones in 2025 through a $2.7 billion state-funded initiative. Settlement of the War in Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding a written commitment halting NATO's eastward expansion and partial sanctions relief as key conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, according to sources familiar with internal negotiations. Despite battlefield advances, Putin has reportedly agreed in principle to begin drafting a peace framework following a two-hour call with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has voiced frustration over Putin's refusal to engage with Kyiv directly and recent large-scale Russian attacks. Following Trump's call, Moscow proposed resuming direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2 to exchange ceasefire draft proposals, according to Russian officials. The previous round of bilateral talks on May 16 ended without agreement, but Kremlin negotiators now say they are prepared for 'substantive discussion' on a package deal and awaiting Kyiv's response. China Deepens Tech Support for Russia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused China of cutting off drone sales to Ukraine and Western allies while continuing to supply Russia, including via production lines on Russian territory with Chinese oversight. Zelenskyy's claims, backed by European officials, highlight concerns over Beijing's export of dual-use technologies such as Mavic drones and motor components, which are widely used on the battlefield for surveillance and strikes. China denies providing lethal aid to Moscow. The U.S. and EU, however, have sanctioned several Chinese firms for supporting Russia's drone production efforts. Recent reporting by Forbes Ukraine substantiates Zelenskyy's allegations, revealing that Russia's Iranian-built Shahed drones (deployed in record numbers during a late May barrage) now rely more heavily on Chinese electronics. Analysis of drone wreckage from attacks in March, 2025, showed that 10 of 15 identified components originated from Chinese companies. This use of Chinese parts represents a clear shift from earlier models, which contained more U.S. and European components. Experts suggest that Russia is compensating for Western export controls by deepening technological reliance on Chinese suppliers, many of which help circumvent sanctions through dual-use goods and Western parts re-exported through third countries. Beijing's support extends beyond electronics. In 2024 alone, China exported $4.6 billion worth of critical goods to Russia, including CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines used for precise fabrication of complex parts and microelectronics used in weapons production. Given that up to 90% of the precision components in Russian high-tech weapons are now Chinese-made, some experts claim that China's role has evolved from cautious neutrality to crucial support of Russian aggression. Germany's New Military Aid Package Germany will provide Ukraine about $5.7 billion in military aid, including funding for Ukrainian production of long-range missiles and air defense systems, following an agreement signed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. Approved by the Bundestag, the package also includes support for Ukrainian repair centers and satellite communications. The new military aid package for Ukraine follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz's pledge during a joint press conference with President Zelenskyy on May 28 to fund the development of Ukrainian long-range missiles. Earlier reporting by the German newspaper Bild revealed Berlin's plans to invest in Ukraine's own production of cruise missiles with ranges up to 1,500 miles. By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks
