The Latest Breaking News from Friedrich Merz

Ukraine and its European allies are expected to demand robust security guarantees from the US

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: Donald Trump wants to build bridges with Russia, but Europe must assert its interests as well

In the run-up to his trip to Israel, the German Chancellor spoke with Mahmoud Abbas about the US peace plan and called for reforms in the Palestinian leadership. The goal remains a negotiated solution for more security in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also attend the meeting in London.

The Prime Minister will use the meeting to show the UK’s support for Ukraine

Euroclear, the custodian of the immobilised Russian assets, has criticised the reparations loan for Ukraine as fragile, unpredictable and risky. In Brussels, the German chancellor holds a crisis meeting with the Belgian prime minister to find a compromise and break the deadlock on the proposal.

All 18-year-old men to be screened for suitability for armed forces, but proposal falls short of conscription

French president’s remarks come a day after a report claimed he had warned Washington could betray Kyiv

Germany’s parliament has approved a pension reform package that had prompted a rebellion in the ranks of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party, the latest instalment in a bumpy first seven months in office