Latest news with #WeimarPlus
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's foreign minister reacts to congratulations by some countries on Russia Day
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said he found it "unpleasant" to read the congratulations extended by "certain countries" on Russia Day. Source: Sybiha ahead of a Weimar Plus meeting in Rome, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha did not explicitly name the countries in question. However, it is worth noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio published an official message congratulating Russia on its national day. Quote: "As a minister of a country at war, it was especially unpleasant for me this morning to read the public congratulations from certain countries addressed to the Russian aggressor." Details: Sybiha added that he "has the moral right to voice this" and stated that "there can be no rewarding of an aggressor state". Background: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was challenged with a barrage of hard-hitting questions, including on Ukraine, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the armed forces held on 11 June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German Foreign Minister Wadephul heads to Rome for talks on Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected in Rome on Thursday for an international conference focused on EU security and the war in Ukraine. Hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the meeting is taking place within the framework of the so-called Weimar Plus format. The group is an extension of the Weimar Triangle, which is made up of Germany, France and Poland. According to the German Foreign Office, both NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will attend the conference. They are to be joined by representatives from Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, France and the European Union. The meeting is taking place less than a month before the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, scheduled for July 10-11, at which some 2,000 representatives from politics, business and international organizations plan to discuss Ukraine's long-term prospects. After a bilateral meeting with Tajani, Wadephul's schedule sees him leave Rome for the Middle East on Thursday evening. Through Sunday, he plans to visit a host of countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. The Foreign Office said the focus of the trip to the region is the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and plans for a peaceful order in the territory after the end of the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany updates: Chancellor Merz to meet Italy's Meloni
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to meet with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni in Rome Police officer in Berlin seriously injured in attack Former minister Christian Lindner bids farewell as business-focused FDP picks new leader Here are all the top news stories from Germany on May 17. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will receive German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Rome on Saturday. Merz is traveling to the Italian capital on the occasion of the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday and will use the opportunity for a bilateral meeting with Meloni on the eve of the event in the Vatican. Merz is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union party. Meloni is Italy's first female prime minister since World War II and holds strong conservative views on issues such as migration. Merz's visit comes after a media report suggesting that the German government has downgraded the importance of diplomacy with Italy caused a stir in Rome. On Thursday, the conservative German daily Die Welt reported that an early draft of the new German government's coalition agreement listed Italy as an important partner and member of an expanded European axis, alongside France and Poland. However, in the final agreement, Rome is no longer mentioned in this context. According to the newspaper, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), Merz's coalition partner, reportedly insisted on the change. Lars Klingbeil, a member of the SPD who serves as vice chancellor and finance minister, will be accompanying Merz on the trip to Italy. Several high-ranking Italian politicians have expressed outrage at the news. However, a German Foreign Office spokesman denied the report, stating that Italy is welcome as a member of the Weimar Plus format, which is an extension of the Weimar Triangle diplomatic forum with representatives from Germany, France and Poland. Guten Tag and welcome to our coverage of political developments in Germany on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Since officially taking office, Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has largely focussed on setting up his foreign policy agenda. On Saturday, he will travel to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This blog will provide you the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and DW on-the-ground reporting in regards to events in Germany. Stay tuned for more!
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia ignores May 12 ceasefire proposal, Ukraine tells allies at London meeting
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called in to a ministerial meeting held in London on May 12, joining his counterparts from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the European Union via video link, the Foreign Ministry said. Speaking after the meeting, Sybiha thanked U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy for convening the allies in what he called an "effective and regular format" and said discussions focused on coordinating peace efforts and joint work with the United States. "This week will be decisive for peace and accountability," Sybiha said. He also shared front-line intelligence from Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirming that Russian forces have not honored the proposed ceasefire from May 12 and continue attacking Ukrainian positions across the front. Over the past 24 hours, Russian attacks injured at least 22 people in Ukraine. This included at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which the 30-day unconditional truce should have started. "Moscow is once again missing a chance to end the killing," Sybiha said, adding that President Volodymyr Zelensky remains ready to meet personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 15. Previously, Putin invited Ukraine to resume talks in Turkey on May 15, which, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Russia wishes to base on the terms of the 2022 Istanbul discussions and the "current situation on the battlefield." Zelensky announced his readiness to meet Putin in Turkey on May 15, reiterating Ukraine's proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire starting May 12. The Kremlin has not responded to Zelensky's proposal for a face-to-face meeting of the two leaders. Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry, potentially to be introduced alongside new defense aid packages. "Putin must understand the cost of rejecting peace and choosing war," he said. Germany already gave Russia until the end of May 12 to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, warning that failure to do so would trigger preparations for new sanctions. According to Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski, ministers from the "Weimar Plus" group, France, Germany, Poland, and the U.K., will also hold a joint phone call on May 12 with their counterparts from the U.S. and Turkey. They plan to discuss organizing potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, according to Ukrinform. Read also: 'We support all efforts' toward peace in Ukraine — China reacts to Kyiv, Europe's call for 30-day ceasefire We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Jordan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
UK hosts European ministers for Ukraine talks amid ceasefire call
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy (centre) hosts talks of the 'Weimar+' group focused on Ukraine and the future of European security at Lancaster House in London on Monday (AFP photo) LONDON — The UK on Monday hosted European ministers for "critical" talks on "repelling Russian aggression", after Ukraine's allies demanded that Moscow accept a ceasefire. Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the EU joined Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London for a meeting of the so-called "Weimar+" group. The coalition was set up in February in response to shifting US policy towards the war between Ukraine and Russia, and European security in general, under President Donald Trump. The meeting follows Saturday's visit by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the UK to Kyiv, where they called for Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to allow for peace talks -- a proposal they said was backed by Washington. The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas renewed the calls for a ceasefire on Monday. "If there is no ceasefire there cannot be talks under fire," she said in London, accusing Russia of "playing games". "It takes two to want peace. It takes only one to want war. And we see that Russia clearly wants war," she added. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, but did not respond to the European call for a 30-day ceasefire. Lammy said it was time for "Putin to get serious about peace in Europe, to get serious about a ceasefire, and to get serious about talks". The Ukrainian air force said Russia had fired more than 100 drones overnight, despite the calls for a ceasefire to start on Monday. "From 11:00 pm on May 11, the enemy attacked with 108 Shaheds and other types of drones," the air force said, adding that "as of 08:30 am, 55 drones were confirmed downed". 'Existential' challenge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to meet Putin personally in Turkey, but did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused the European ceasefire proposal. Trump said direct talks were needed to determine whether peace was possible. "President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the US, will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly." The London meeting, where Lammy is expected to announce further sanctions targeting those backing Russia's invasion, will be the sixth gathering of the Weimar+ group and the first hosted by the UK. The talks would cover "repelling Russian aggression and bolstering European security", said the UK Foreign Office. They will focus on "both our joint efforts to strengthen European security and securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine", it added. Lammy was joined by his German, Spanish and Polish counterparts, while France was represented by its minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad. European leaders are "facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent", Lammy said ahead of the talks. "The challenge we face today is not only about the future of Ukraine -- it is existential for Europe as a whole." Ceasefire plan European leaders have reacted with scepticism to Putin's proposal for direct talks in Istanbul, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning that he was merely trying "to buy time". "An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition," he told reporters as he returned to Poland from the meeting in Ukraine. He reiterated his position later Sunday, insisting on the "necessity for a ceasefire" before talks between Putin and Zelensky. In a phone call with Lammy on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington's "top priority remains bringing an end to the fighting and an immediate ceasefire", State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
