Germany and Italy say Europe is still focused on ending the war in Ukraine — not on sending soldiers.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made it clear: troop discussions aren’t on the table right now.
"The next step must be that the format for peace talks is made clear, as well as which security guarantees could possibly, one day, be necessary for Ukraine," Merz said. He added that those issues remain uncertain for now.
He continued, "There is no reason to talk about troops at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end ... these are the questions we are dedicated to now, and no others."
Merz and Meloni spoke a day after leaders from France, Germany, the UK, and Poland met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a summit in Albania. U.S. President Donald Trump also joined the discussion by phone and later confirmed he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Meloni wasn’t part of the Albania meeting — something Italian outlets say wasn’t an accident. Reports suggest French President Emmanuel Macron may have intentionally left her out.
Still, Meloni said Italy is willing to join any global effort to bring the war to an end. But she warned that cracks in Western unity would be dangerous.
"Western unity has been our greatest strength since the beginning of Russia's invasion," she said. "At a delicate time like this, it is important to set aside any personal (differences) that could undermine that unity."
Meanwhile, the EU is preparing another round of sanctions targeting Russia, after peace talks between Ukraine and Russia — the first in three years — failed to produce a ceasefire. Russia did agree to keep talking, but expectations weren’t met.
"Yesterday's talks in Istanbul ended below our expectations despite the extremely constructive positioning of Ukraine's negotiators," Merz said.
His cautious approach echoes that of former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also focused on peace negotiations over military involvement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shown openness to sending peacekeepers — but only if there’s strong U.S. support for European forces.
Russia, for its part, continues to firmly reject any NATO troops entering Ukraine.
Israel launched a strike on Saturday targeting Iran’s energy sector for the first time in its current military campaign, hitting installations at the South Pars gas field, a major fuel depot in Tehran, and a nearby oil refinery.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Air show for reportedly displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three people, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Israel launched a strike on Saturday targeting Iran’s energy sector for the first time in its current military campaign, hitting installations at the South Pars gas field, a major fuel depot in Tehran, and a nearby oil refinery.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Air show for reportedly displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three people, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Pakistan will begin its first freight train service to Russia from Lahore on June 22. The route is part of the INSTC and aims to connect Pakistan's rail network with Central Asia, establishing a new trade corridor via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation advisory for Iranian civilians living near weapons production sites and associated infrastructure within Iran. The message was shared on the social media platform X in both Arabic and Farsi by an official military spokesperson.
An Air India flight with 242 passengers on board crashed in Meghaninagar, close to Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, on Thursday afternoon.
India expects to conclude a free trade agreement with the European Union by the end of 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his visit to Cyprus.
Türkiye’s current account balance registered a deficit of $7.8 billion in April, according to data released Monday by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT), marking a wider-than-expected shortfall amid a sharp goods trade imbalance.
Thousands of tourists in Israel find themselves stranded as escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has forced flight cancellations and city lockdowns, turning short vacations into uncertain, prolonged stays.
Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja visited the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard on Monday, marking 100 years of Norwegian sovereignty amid growing global interest in the polar region.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Israel launched a strike on Saturday targeting Iran’s energy sector for the first time in its current military campaign, hitting installations at the South Pars gas field, a major fuel depot in Tehran, and a nearby oil refinery.
The EU will delay plans to curb Russian nuclear fuel imports, focusing first on phasing out Russian gas by 2027, the European Commission confirmed.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Air show for reportedly displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three people, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
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