Submit your Article

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday called the situation in Gaza “unacceptable” and urged an immediate ceasefire along with swift delivery of humanitarian aid. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, he emphasized Germany’s commitment to working with international partners to address the crisis, Xinhua reported.

Merz also conveyed his concerns during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing that aid must reach civilians in a secure and humane manner. He reiterated Germany’s opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and warned against any moves toward annexation of the West Bank.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday signed the Kensington Treaty, a landmark agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two nations, according to Reuters.

Described as the most significant UK-Germany treaty since World War II, the agreement covers joint defense exercises, cybersecurity, arms export coordination, and migration policy. It also reaffirms both countries’ commitment to climate goals set in the Paris Agreement, including limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

The treaty pledges closer trade ties within existing UK-EU frameworks and aims to promote open markets and job growth.

Calling it a “first of its kind,” Starmer said the deal reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries amid global uncertainty, Reuters reported.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit London on Thursday to sign a “friendship treaty” with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aimed at renewing ties and strengthening defence cooperation post-Brexit.

The treaty will include a mutual defence pledge, emphasising joint action in the face of shared security threats. Though both are NATO members, the agreement signals deeper collaboration, including in weapons development and NATO operations, according to Firstpost.

The leaders will also discuss continued support for Ukraine and announce new defence export deals, including Boxer vehicles and Typhoon jets, alongside plans to deliver a jointly developed long-range missile system within the next decade.

Ukrainian President Zelensky spoke with US President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss ways to boost Ukraine’s defense and move closer to peace. Zelensky said Trump shared updates from his recent NATO meeting, while he also spoke directly with NATO chief Mark Rutte about ongoing support, according to CNN.

Zelensky confirmed the US, Germany, and Norway are working together to supply more Patriot air defense systems to help protect Ukraine from continued Russian attacks.

German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has called on the European Union to take firm action if ongoing trade talks with the United States fail. His remarks, published Sunday in Sueddeutsche Zeitung, follow US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 30 percent tariff on EU imports starting August 1, according to Xinhua.

Klingbeil warned that Germany would not remain passive if negotiations break down, stating that preparations for countermeasures are already underway. He stressed the need for a fair trade agreement, saying, “Trump’s tariffs produce only losers,” and urged an end to escalating tensions.

He also noted that Germany will accelerate efforts to diversify its global trade partnerships. The US is currently Germany’s largest export market, with exports totaling €161bn in 2024 and a trade surplus of nearly €70bn, Xinhua reported.

Poland has reintroduced temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania due to a rise in undocumented migrants, mainly from Venezuela and Colombia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the move aims to redirect migration routes bypassing the Belarusian border and entering via Latvia and Lithuania, BBC reported.

The decision comes as several EU countries, including Germany, have tightened border checks. Warsaw argues Germany’s tougher stance has shifted the burden onto Poland.

Recent violent incidents involving foreign nationals have heightened public tension, prompting far-right groups to patrol borders. Rights groups warn such actions fuel xenophobia and call for fact-based migration policy, according to BBC.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has formally declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation guidelines for the first time in 20 years.

In a resolution supported by 19 of the IAEA's 35 board members, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, the agency criticized Iran's refusal to explain undeclared nuclear material and its stockpile of uranium enriched near weapons-grade levels, UN News reported.

Iran rejected the resolution as politically driven, announcing plans to construct a new enrichment facility. It argues that its nuclear program is harmless.

The move follows a 2018 decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, after which Iran began scaling back its compliance, according to UN News.

The EU has reaffirmed its commitment to a fair trade deal with the US, following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports starting June 1.

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the bloc seeks a deal based on “mutual respect, not threats,” after talks with US officials. Trump criticized stalled negotiations and warned tariffs would not apply to US-made goods, hinting a major EU investment could delay action.

European leaders urged de-escalation and warned of mutual economic harm. Germany, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands endorsed ongoing discussions and a clear EU stance.

Trump, citing trade imbalances, has threatened a 25 percent tax on iPhones not manufactured in the United States. Markets fell in response, with US and EU indexes closing lower.

Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is signaling a tougher stance on Russia, backing stronger EU sanctions including bans on gas and uranium imports and the use of frozen Russian state assets.

Thorsten Frei, Merz’s chief of staff, said Europe must move beyond its “comfort zone” to increase pressure on Moscow. The EU is preparing a new round of sanctions following recent measures targeting Russia’s oil “shadow fleet” and financial networks, accoding to Reuters.

Merz has also supported the potential confiscation of frozen Russian assets, if legally feasible.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of delaying peace efforts in Ukraine and called for stricter EU sanctions, especially targeting Russian energy exports.

Pistorius said Russia’s continued attacks show it is not serious about negotiations and is using diplomacy to buy time, Reuters reported.

Following Putin’s recent call with US President Donald Trump, EU leaders agreed to increase pressure on Moscow if it refuses an unconditional ceasefire.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called Putin's stance hypocritical, while EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas urged the United States to join the EU in taking greater action. She pointed out that Ukraine had already accepted a cease-fire agreement over 60 days ago, which Russia refused, according to Reuters.

German prosecutors stated on Wednesday that three Ukrainian nationals had been arrested in connection with a suspected sabotage plot aimed against Russian-linked transit networks. The arrests took place in Cologne and Konstanz, Germany, as well as in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland.

The suspects are accused of planning arson and explosive assaults in Germany on behalf of others suspected of working for Russian state officials. Authorities also claim the organization intended to send explosive devices from Germany to Ukraine, designed to detonate during transit, as reported by Firstpost.

The case is being investigated as a foreign intelligence operation designed to disrupt German infrastructure. The suspect apprehended in Switzerland is expected to be extradited to Germany for additional legal proceedings.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet with counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the EU on Monday to discuss continued support for Ukraine and enhanced regional defence cooperation, according to Reuters.

The discussions take place before Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with EU leaders on May 19 to discuss improving trade relations after Brexit and securing a new defense agreement.

Lammy is expected to announce new sanctions targeting those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move follows a joint visit to Kyiv by leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland to support Ukraine’s call for a 30-day ceasefire, backed by US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has subsequently suggested holding direct peace negotiations with Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz has been elected Germany’s chancellor after securing 325 votes in a second round of parliamentary voting, following an unprecedented initial defeat, BBC reported.

Merz, 69, leads the CDU/CSU alliance, which gained 28.5 percent in the February election. The conservatives formed a partnership with the SPD, which gained 16.4 percent when Olaf Scholz's cabinet collapsed.

Merz received only 310 votes in the first round, despite having 328 seats in total. He was formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will take the oath in the Reichstag.

The new coalition claims tax cuts, lower energy prices, higher defense expenditure, and continuing support for Ukraine, all while addressing the emergence of the far right and strained US-Ukraine economic relations, according to BBC.

Friedrich Merz, the head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), fell six votes short of the 316 votes needed to win a parliamentary majority and become Germany's next chancellor on Tuesday, BBC reported.

Merz earned only 310 votes in a secret ballot, even though the Social Democrats held 328 seats and he was part of the CDU-Christian Social Union (CSU) combination. This is the first time a candidate for chancellor has lost on the first vote since World War II. Germany's DAX stock index dropped 1.8% as a result.

Olaf Scholz, the departing chancellor, is still serving in a caretaker capacity while the parties negotiate the next course of action. In order to guarantee leadership stability, CDU officials have demanded a speedy second vote, as stated by BBC.

Germany’s economy grew by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the federal statistics office. The slight expansion, fueled by consumer spending and investment, is consistent with market expectations and has helped the economy avoid a technical recession following a 0.2 percent contraction in the previous quarter, Reuters reported.

Despite this positive uptick, Germany is the only G7 country that has not experienced yearly economic growth in the last two years. Analysts warn that President Donald Trump's newly announced US tariffs might have a substantial influence on Germany's export-driven economy, potentially paving the way for a third consecutive year of stagnation – an unprecedented scenario in the country's postwar history.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Donald Trump to visit his country ahead of any deal with Russia to end the war.

"Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead," Zelensky stated during an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes program, BBC reported.

The interview was conducted before to the deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, which left 117 people injured and 34 dead, including two children.

Trump called the incident "horrible," while Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, charged Russia of war crimes, according to BBC.

There was no quick formal response from Russia, whose forces over the border are thought to be preparing for a major onslaught.