Last week, Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, visited Kyiv to talk about the bond forged by war between Ukraine and Germany, and announced a new strategic relationship between the countries that he said will be a “long-term partnership to be reckoned with.”
Germany’s right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has seen its popularity inside the country surge after the start of the Iran War because Germans are now facing higher energy prices to compound their economic pressures that were palpable even before the U.S. and Israel launched the illegal war of aggression on 28 February.
There has never been a more unpopular German leader than Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to a newly released poll that found just 16 percent of Germans approve of his performance in office.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he believes that the Ukraine War is “coming to an end” amid a three-day ceasefire that was expected to span from 9 to 11 May after a request from President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian military last week carried out several high-profile drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including attacks on a key oil refinery on the Black Sea that resulted in major damage and a health emergency for residents in the city of Tuapse, according to reports.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, was attacked by Ukrainian forces on Sunday in Kyiv’s latest escalation of attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The EU announced last week that it will provide Ukraine with $105 billion in loans to keep the country functional until the end of 2027 as it continues its war with Russia, which has no end in sight.
Germany announced last week that it had summoned the Russian ambassador over what it considered as direct threats against the country from Moscow and the latest sign that the Ukraine War could escalate.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki does not want to deal with the EU, so he said the country should sell some of its gold reserves, which was rejected by Warsaw’s finance minister who said he refused “to accept the [idea of] modernizing the Polish army based on the mirage of future profits of the central bank,” according to a report.
Germany announced its military strategy last week for the coming decades, which was seen as Berlin’s most significant overhaul in decades, identifying Russia as its most dangerous adversary.