German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday told a state party conference that Russia will only stop its war in Ukraine when it is unable to continue economically, and possibly militarily.
“All our efforts in recent weeks have been met with an even more aggressive approach by the Moscow regime against the people of Ukraine. And this will not stop until we have worked together to ensure that Russia can no longer continue this war, at least for economic reasons, perhaps also for military reasons, but in any case for economic reasons,” Merz said.
He stressed the importance of European unity in confronting the conflict, recalling recent discussions with EU leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Merz also outlined Germany’s renewed leadership in defence policy and NATO. He said decisions to raise defence spending to 3.5% and invest an additional 1.5% in defence infrastructure had strengthened NATO’s European pillar.
“If Germany is prepared to take on a leadership role in Europe again, if Europe stands together, then we have a chance of being heard. Then we can assert our interests. We can defend our freedom and our security together,” he said.
Merz described foreign and European policy as inseparable from Germany’s domestic security.
He also noted the growing pressure on Russia as missile and drone attacks against Ukraine intensified in recent days.
On Friday in Toulon, France, Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said that U.S. President Trump must respond to the cancelled meeting he had announced between Putin and Zelenskyy, highlighting that Russia had shown no desire for a peaceful solution.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, au...
Iran announced on Saturday that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal...
A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window f...
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum all...
Germany's ruling conservatives on Saturday (21 February) passed a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital ve...
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
Iran announced on Saturday that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window for the Artemis II mission.
UK politicians have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to be removed from the line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and revelations over his links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.
Cubans are increasingly turning to solar power to keep businesses operating and basic household appliances running during prolonged electricity cuts, as fuel shortages make diesel generators and other temporary solutions more difficult and costly to maintain.
Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles in 'Grey’s Anatomy' and 'Euphoria', died on Thursday, at the age of 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His family confirmed his death after what they described as a “courageous battle” with ALS.
An Austrian climber has been convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died from hypothermia while climbing Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner, in January 2025.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window for the Artemis II mission.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Germany's ruling conservatives on Saturday (21 February) passed a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
India and Brazil signed a mining and minerals cooperation pact on Saturday (21 February), as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries aim to increase bilateral trade to more than $20 billion within five years.
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