German foreign minister pledges continued support for Ukraine in Kyiv visit
Our institutions are working on the synchronization of European and Ukrainian sanctions. We are also fully aligning the European sanctions package targeting the regime in Iran, which includes numerous individuals, companies, and entities not only involved in military production… pic.twitter.com/cdUdJnbeo7
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 29, 2025
Germany has been Ukraine's second-largest military backer after the United States, whose continuing support is in doubt.
However, Berlin has baulked at granting Mr Zelensky's request to provide Ukraine with powerful German- and Swedish-made Taurus long-range missiles.
This is due to fears that such a move could enrage the Kremlin and end up drawing Nato into Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War.
Instead, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged in May to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their use and targets.
Almost all night long, air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine — 477 drones were in our skies, most of them Russian-Iranian Shaheds, along with 60 missiles of various types. The Russians were targeting everything that sustains life. A residential building in Smila was also hit,… pic.twitter.com/1ExZhYAMBg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 29, 2025
Mr Wadephul was accompanied on his trip to Kyiv by German defence industry representatives.
Russia's invasion shows no sign of letting up. Its grinding war of attrition along the roughly 620-mile front line and long-range strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine have killed thousands of troops and civilians.
The Russian effort to capture more Ukrainian territory has been costly in terms of casualties and damaged armour. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected a ceasefire and has not budged from his war goals.
Mr Putin 'doesn't want negotiations, but (Ukrainian) capitulation', Mr Wadephul said in his statement.
Russia launched its biggest combined aerial attack against Ukraine at the weekend, Ukrainian officials said, in its escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
9 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump's tax cuts will be next big win for him
Here's great news: We don't have to wait 20 years. All of this and more is happening now, only five months after the start of Donald Trump's second term as president. Not bad for a guy who progressives have dismissed as a clown. Since June 22, Trump has set back Iran's development of nuclear weapons, forged a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, cajoled NATO allies into increasing spending on their own defense and pushed Canada to drop a digital services tax that hurt U.S. companies. Are you proud to be an American? Tell us what patriotism means to you. | Opinion Forum Trump tax cuts, Big Beautiful Bill will help American workers Trump also has racked up significant wins on the domestic front. The Senate is on the verge of passing the president's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and if the House concurs, the legislation could be on Trump's desk by July 4, Friday. I wish that the bill cut more spending, but the White House Council of Economic Advisers projects that the tax provisions in the legislation would raise take-home pay by as much as $13,300 for a family of four and boost wages by as much as $11,600 per worker. Both would be tremendous wins for ordinary Americans. Trump's critics claimed that federal job cuts orchestrated by the Department of Government Efficiency would lead to a spike in unemployment, but the economy added a higher than expected 139,000 jobs in May and unemployment remained at a historically low 4.2%. Many of those critics also screamed that Trump's tariffs would blow up inflation and crash the economy. But inflation this year is on track for its lowest rate of increase in five years, and the fears of recession appear to be fading. Investors have noticed all of this good news. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are at record highs. And the running of the bulls appears to be just getting started. "The wall of worry is crumbling as stocks reach all-time highs," Terry Sandven of U.S. Bank Wealth Management told CNBC. "Inflation is stable, interest rates are range-bound and earnings are trending higher. That's a favorable backdrop for stocks to continue to forge higher as we begin the second half." Opinion: Conservatives report better mental health than liberals. I think I know why. Trump secures the border and slows illegal immigration In only five months, Trump has regained control of our southern border. Customs and Border Protection recently reported that the agency released zero illegal immigrants into the United States in May. A year ago, more than 62,000 people who entered our country illegally were allowed to stay. Opinion newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox. I don't think Trump is directly responsible for all of this winning. The stock markets, after all, have been on a rapid climb upward for years. At the same time, I know that if Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris had won in 2024 and accomplished half of these milestones, progressives, Democrats and the news media would be talking about where to build her monument on the National Mall. But because Trump is a Republican, they can't allow themselves to acknowledge his win streak. Still, I have a hunch that history will show that the first months of Trump's second term were the beginning of an American resurgence. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
Daily Record
35 minutes ago
- Daily Record
John Swinney urged not to drop Scotland's ban on cash for weapons in face of Russia threat
The First Minister said he could 'reconsider' the SNP's longstanding policy against directly funding munitions amid the threat from Putin. John Swinney is under pressure not to drop the Scottish Government ban on sending public cash to weapons manufacturing projects. The First Minister last week revealed he could "reconsider" the longstanding policy due to the threat from Russia. It follows an internal review by its business quango, Scottish Enterprise, into its funding of arms companies. Scottish taxpayers have shelled out £8million in grants since 2019 to arms dealers like Leonardo, Raytheon and BAE Systems. The money is not currently allowed to go towards the direct manufacture of munitions, but critics describe the current system of human rights checks as "inadequate". The Scottish Greens and Amnesty International say cash has been awarded to firms involved in manufacture of F-35s and other military tech in Gaza. Greens MSP Patrick Harvie said: 'Scottish tax payers' money should never go towards companies arming regimes that commit war crimes. "In recent years the UK has armed Israel as it engaged in genocide, Saudi Arabia as it pursued a brutal war in Yemen, and Hong Kong and Egypt as they attacked pro-democracy protests. 'The SNP generally falls back on the 'no manufacture of munitions' line to defend the fact that they still fund companies complicit in such crimes. 'Far from retreating from their policy, they should strengthen it by applying human rights checks that actually mean something, instead of the rubber stamp currently applied." He added: 'There are hundreds of projects across the country that provide jobs and positive, productive outcomes for Scotland that would welcome financial support from the government. "There's simply no need to give it to arms dealers and war profiteers.' Swinney had previously said the government's stance against directly funding munitions would remain, with his Cabinet minister Mairi Gougeon previously saying it was based on the party's "principles". But speaking to the Holyrood Sources podcast last week, the SNP chief said: "I'm conscious we are living in a very different context today. The Russian threat is very real. We have to consider these questions." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Deputy first minister Kate Forbes revealed this week a tighter regime of human rights checks for Scottish Enterprise funding of arms firms following a review, but opponents said it would effectively allow the status quo to continue. Neil Cowan, Scotland director at Amnesty International, said: 'The Scottish public must be assured that this review has not simply swept the issues under the carpet.'
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Pentagon halts weapons shipment to Ukraine amid concerns over U.S. stockpile
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a pause on sending a shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine amid concern about the U.S. military's stockpiles, according to two defense officials, two congressional officials, and two sources with knowledge. The delay comes weeks after Hegseth issued a memo ordering a review of the U.S. stockpile of munitions, which has been depleted after years of sending weapons to Ukraine to defend against the Russia invasion, as well as nearly two years of military operations in the Middle East as the U.S. fought against Houthi rebels in Yemen and defended Israel and allies against Iran, four of the officials said. The munitions and other weapons could be held up until the assessment is complete, the two defense officials and two congressional officials said, and if the munitions are in short supply or needed in other parts of the world, they could be held back even longer. The weapons being delayed include dozens of Patriot interceptors that can defend against incoming Russian missiles, thousands of 155mm high explosive Howitzer munitions, more than 100 Hellfire missiles, more than 250 precision-guided missiles known as GMLRS, and dozens of each of Stinger surface to air missiles, AIM air to air missiles, and grenade launchers, the two defense officials, two congressional officials, and two sources with knowledge said. 'This decision was made to put America's interests first following a DOD review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. During a closing press conference after a NATO meeting at The Hague last week, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is trying to find Patriot air defense missiles to send to Ukraine. 'They do want to have the anti-missile missiles,' Trump said of Ukraine. 'As they call them the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available.' Trump said the U.S. is supplying weapons to Israel and that 'you know, they're very hard to get. We need them, too.' The delay comes after repeated appeals from Ukraine for additional U.S. and European air defense weaponry as Russia has stepped up its air raids in recent months. Over the weekend, Ukraine's defense ministry said Russia had launched the largest aerial attack on the country since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, firing 60 missiles and 477 drones. Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are also working to secure a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Though it's common for new administrations to pause weapons transfers to assess stockpiles, there are concerns about the moment in which this is happening, according to one official with knowledge of the situation. The official said Ukraine needs to appear strong in order to get Russia to the negotiating table. During a visit to Washington on June 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top adviser, Andriy Yermak, told reporters that his country was holding off Russian forces but needed more air defense systems to safeguard its cities from Russian attacks. The munitions were approved as part of Presidential Drawdown Authority and Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative packages during the Biden administration, the defense officials and two sources with knowledge said. Some of the shipments are already in the region, but have been stopped before being turned over to Ukraine, according to a defense official and two sources with knowledge. Last month the U.S.' Acting Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Kilby, warned during testimony before Congress that while the Navy has enough standard missiles, known as SM-3s, right now, the U.S. has been using some missiles and munitions 'at an alarming rate.'
