Germany plans to let military shoot down drones domestically
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Zelenskyy presses EU for ‘immediate invitation’ to join Nato
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged European leaders to issue an ‘immediate invitation’ to Ukraine to join Nato. He said his ‘victory plan’ would end the war in 2025 at the latest. Ukraine wants an immediate invitation to join the transatlantic alliance, with membership later. But this is widely seen as unrealistic by other Nato members. The Ukrainian has already been to Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome and London to make the case for his plan. He also has an uphill task to convince Germany to get involved. The US and Germany, the two largest donors of military aid to Kyiv, remain opposed to imminent Nato membership, fearing it would put the alliance on a collision course with nuclear-armed Russia. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said: “You’s position on the issues will not change. This will not changed.” The Ukrainian discussed the war with the leaders of 27 EU countries, mostly Nato members, before heading to the alliance headquarters to meet the secretary-general, Mark Rutte.
Addressing the EU’s 27 leaders at a Brussels summit, Ukraine’s president outlined his five-point plan, which urges allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons on military targets inside Ukraine’s occupied territories and Russia, as well as to help increase air defences.
Ukraine wants an immediate invitation to join Nato, with membership later, but in the transatlantic alliance this is widely seen as unrealistic.
“If we start now and follow the victory plan, we can end this war no later than next year,” Zelenskyy told EU leaders. A “deterrence package” on Ukrainian land, he said, “would either force Russia to participate in real peace negotiations, or allow for the destruction of their military targets”.
“Putin must just see that his political calculations are worthless,” he added.
Zelenskyy’s visit comes at a perilous moment for Ukraine, which is steadily losing ground to Russian forces in the eastern Donbas, ahead of a daunting winter that also brings the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House.
Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy described how he gave Trump a detailed account of the 1994 Budapest memorandum signed by Russia, the US and the UK, under which Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed to give up their nuclear arsenals, inherited from the Soviet Union, in exchange for guarantees their sovereignty would be respected “within existing borders”.
In a rhetorical flourish he said Ukraine faced a choice between resuming nuclear weapons and Nato membership, adding: “We are not choosing nuclear weapons, we are choosing Nato, and I think that Donald Trump heard me.”
Zelenskyy declined to give further details of his conversation with the former US president, who has repeatedly claimed he could end the war in a day, without offering any explanation. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has set out a peace deal that would mean Kyiv giving up large swaths of occupied land to Russia.
The Ukrainian leader also said his intelligence services believed 10,000 North Korean soldiers were preparing to join the war on the Russian side, “a really urgent” matter he said he had discussed with the US president, Joe Biden.
Some North Korean officers are already thought to be on occupied territory in Ukraine. Zelenskyy suggested Putin was turning to allies to provide troops because he feared domestic mobilisation would prompt a public backlash.
The Ukrainian discussed the war with the leaders of 27 EU countries, mostly Nato members, before heading to the alliance headquarters to meet the secretary-general, Mark Rutte, and Nato defence ministers. He has already been to Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome and London to make the case for his plan.
Rutte, who became the top civilian official at the 32-member alliance earlier this month, said he could not say when Ukraine would become a member. Nato’s members, he said, would have to study the plan in detail.
The US and Germany, the two largest donors of military aid to Kyiv, remain opposed to imminent Nato membership, fearing it would put the alliance on a collision course with nuclear-armed Russia. Many other Nato members view the demand for an immediate invitation as unrealistic.
In an attempt to get the US on side, Ukraine is offering, after the war, to replace US soldiers stationed in Europe with Ukrainian units trained to Nato standards. “After this war, Ukraine will have one of the most experienced and largest military contingents,” states the text of Zelenskyy’s peace plan. “By replacing certain US contingent with the Ukrainian contingent, the United States will be able to use its released troops to perform other security tasks outside Europe.”
Ukraine also has an uphill task to convince Germany. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, arriving at the summit, said: “You know Germany’s position on the issues involved. This will not change.”
Zelenskyy also has to contend with Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s Russia-friendly prime minister and a serial disruptor of EU support for Ukraine. Before the summit Orbán described Zelenskyy’s victory plans as “more than frightening” and once again urged the EU to change its approach because “we are losing this war”.
Hungary is the obstacle to US participation in a $50bn international loan, backed by Russia’s frozen assets in the west, to help Ukraine stay financially afloat. Washington has said it will only participate if the EU agreed to extend its Russia sanctions to three years, rather than the current six-month rollovers. Hungary says it cannot make this decision until after the US election.
In an attempt to “Orbán proof” finance for Ukraine, the EU has already agreed to loan €35bn (£29bn), with the UK and Japan expected to make up the rest of the €46bn. But officials would prefer the US to join the plan, reducing the EU’s share of the liability.
Lithuania’s president, Gitanas Nausėda, urged western allies to support Ukraine to press the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to the negotiating table: “Right now he thinks he is prevailing. He thinks Russia is pushing Ukraine to the corner. And this is the worst moment to start negotiations … because Russia feels to be the stronger side.”
Ukraine war latest: UK will confront Russian planes ‘if we need to’ in NATO’s skies, Cooper tells UN; Putin makes nuclear offer to Trump
Institute for the Study of War says Russia has been forming a strategic reserve from new recruits since July 2025. Source says roughly 292,000 people signed contracts with the Russian ministry of defence between the start of 2025 and 15 September – an average of approximately 7,900 recruits per week or 31,600 per month. Source said some of these recruits were joining the strategic reserve. But source did not specify how many recruits were going to the reserve as opposed to the frontline in Ukraine. Russia may be preparing for a conflict with NATO, analysts say.
We now turn to the latest analysis from US thinktank the Institute for the Study of War.
It says Russia has been forming a strategic reserve from new recruits since July 2025, according to someone it describes as a Russian insider source that has consistently provided accurate reports about changes in the Russian military command.
The source said that roughly 292,000 people signed contracts with the Russian ministry of defence between the start of 2025 and 15 September – an average of approximately 7,900 recruits per week or 31,600 per month.
The source said some of these recruits were joining the strategic reserve that Russia has been forming, but “did not specify how many recruits are going to the strategic reserve as opposed to the frontline in Ukraine”, according to ISW.
“The Russian military command may have assessed that Russia could afford to create a strategic reserve after Russian losses began to decrease in the summer of 2025,” the analysts added.
They added that Ukrainian officials reported Russia suffered roughly 32,000 to 48,000 casualties per month between January and July 2025 – more casualties than the average reported monthly recruitment rate.
But, they said, the same officials said Russia suffered roughly 29,000 casualties in August 2025 and 13,000 casualties in the first half of September 2025 – the only months so far in 2025 with casualty rates below the average reported recruitment rate.
ISW said: “Reports that Russia is creating a strategic reserve further indicate that the Kremlin is not interested in ending its war against Ukraine but remains committed to achieving its war goals on the battlefield and may be preparing for a conflict with NATO.
“The reported creation of a strategic reserve suggests that Russia plans to escalate offensive operations in Ukraine in the near-to-medium term rather than end the war.
“Russia may also be building out its strategic reserve as part of wider Kremlin preparations for a possible Russia-NATO conflict in the future, particularly as Russia intensifies its youth military-patriotic programs that aim to recruit Russian youth into the military in the years to come.”
The group goes on to discuss Russia’s apparent recent violations of NATO members’ airspace, which we have been reporting on in previous posts.
The analysts conclude: “ISW continues to assess that Russia is pursuing an aggressive campaign to test NATO air defences and political will as part of a broader effort to collect actionable intelligence that Russia may then apply to a potential future conflict against NATO.”
ISW, which has been widely described as hawkish, counts US military contractors among its core funders.
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin to send top negotiator to Washington as US anger grows over peace deal talks
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, will meet with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week. Comes after Mr Trump said he was ‘p***** off’ with Putin and would look to unleash oil tariffs on Russia if they did not take peace talks seriously. Washington officials have acknowledged that Putin is resisting attempts to strike a ceasefire, and discussed what economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal. Half of the US Senate – including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – has united to propose sanctions against Russia if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine. Ukraine’s Nato membership never included in minerals deal, source in presidential office says. Ukraine is “not tying” the minerals deal to Nato, source says. US officials have urged European allies to keep buying American-made arms. US has made outreach to its EU allies amid recent moves by the European Union to limit European tenders. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said exclusion from European weapons procurements would be seen negatively of US companies.
Washington officials have acknowledged that Putin is resisting attempts to strike a ceasefire, and discussed what economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, the sources said.
It comes following Mr Trump’s explosive reveal that he was “p***** off” with Putin and would look to unleash oil tariffs on Russia if they did not take peace talks seriously.
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Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s Kyiv-born and US-educated envoy, will meet with Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff this week, Reuters reported.
Responding to the reports on X, Mr Dmitriev said: “The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives. But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”
On Tuesday, two senior Washington sources told Reuters that a peace deal does not seem imminent, despite US efforts.
Meanwhile, half of the US Senate – including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – has united to propose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
Key Points
Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4
Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting
Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?
Russia violating ceasefire – Ukraine hands dossier of evidence to US
23:31 , Barney Davis
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Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Ihor Brusylo, spoke on national television to say they have handed evidence to the US about Russia violating a
“The energy ceasefire… which Ukraine and the United States agreed upon, was violated by the Russian side. All the necessary information was transferred to the American side. I think the reaction will not be long in coming, because even American partners who were diplomatically disposed towards the possibility of ensuring such a ceasefire are running out of patience,” he said.
According to the official, all evidence confirms that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire or in bringing the war to an end.
“I hope international partners will not delay anything, and more resolute measures will still be taken against the aggressor state, which pursues its insidious policy despite the agreements reached during the negotiations,” Brusylo stressed.
Zelensky says Ukraine’s Nato membership never included in minerals deal
23:01 , Alex Croft
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Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a minerals deal that Ukraine and the US are negotiating doesn’t mention his country’s Nato membership in the future.
“As for this agreement and the Nato question, there is no mention of Nato in this agreement, and there never was,” Mr Zelensky said, confirming earlier reports.
“A decision (regarding the deal) will be made in the coming days.”
His remarks come a few days after a source in the presidential office told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine is “not tying” the minerals deal to Nato.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 4
22:26 , Barney Davis
(via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)
(EPA)
Trump now objects to European push to buy weapons locally
22:00 , Alex Croft
Officials from the Trump administration are now urging their European allies to keep buying American-made arms – just weeks after Donald Trump asked the EU to take responsibility for its own defence and security.
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Five US sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the US has made outreach to its EU allies amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers’ participation in weapons tenders.
According to two of the sources, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said any exclusion of US companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.
One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by US officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.
Shortly after taking office, Mr Trump urged European allies to spend more on defence and take greater responsibility for their own security, and suggesting that his commitment to Nato is not absolute.
President Donald Trump is reportedly “p***** off” with Putin (AP)
Watch: Trump ‘p***** off’ at Putin over disparaging Zelensky comments
21:01 , Alex Croft
Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station
20:29 , Alex Croft
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Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.
The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.
They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”
One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.
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After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says
20:00 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.
“At the upcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.
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Mr Putin is “feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position”, she added.
Only international pressure can stop Putin’s terror – Zelensky
19:35 , Barney Davis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian terror can only be stopped with pressure from international partners after a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed four civilians.
“A targeted Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. All necessary services are on site, working to mitigate the consequences of the shelling and to help people. Some people are wounded, and they are receiving medical assistance. As of now, it is known that, tragically, four lives were claimed by this strike, all of them civilians. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” he said on Telegram.
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Zelensky stressed that everywhere in the world, such strikes are called by the same name – terror.
“What separates us all from at least a complete and unconditional cessation of strikes is the lack of Russia’s consent to end the war, and only the world’s pressure can ensure such consent,” Zelensky said.
(Telegram)
Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks
19:31 , Alex Croft
Watch ‘key’ fighter pilot shoot down drones
19:20 , Barney Davis
‘Russia wants to continue fighting’ – Putin biographer
19:00 , Alex Croft
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war strategy, told Fox New that Putin’s goal with his latest conscription drive is to prolong the war.
“There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had,” said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book ” Putin’s Playbook .”
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“What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin’s goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate.
“Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force’s posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force.”
(AP)
Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years ahead of possible spring offensive
18:29 , Alex Croft
Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.
According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15.
The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.
Ukrainian secret service arrest two alleged spies
18:26 , Barney Davis
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) say they have detained a man and a woman acting as spies for Russia on suspicion of attempting to carry out a bombing on a local police station office.
The SBU reported that the device, disguised as a fire extinguisher, was taken from a hidden cache based on coordinates provided by Russian handlers from the GRU.
According to SBU, a 22-year-old woman from Kyiv, was recruited via Telegram looking for “easy money” and initially tasked with distributing Russian propaganda leaflets in the Ukrainian capital.
After completing her first “test” assignment, she was allegedly told to travel to Lviv to carry out the attack. She also recruited an acquaintance to assist her in blowing up the administrative building of the local district police department, said the SBU.
Security services say the attackers also planned to install a hidden camera to broadcast the explosion’s impact to their Russian handlers.
The SBU said it “exposed both agents in advance, documented their crimes, and detained them ‘red-handed’ as they approached the police unit with explosives.”
Both suspects have been charged with high treason under martial law, a crime punishable by life imprisonment with property confiscation.
(Telegram/SBU)
Fighting increases despite ceasefire talks
17:58 , Alex Croft
Despite negotiations for a ceasefire, March saw a sharp increase in combat clashes along the frontline.
The number of clashes rose from 3,274 in February to 4,270 in March, bringing the total for 2025 to 12,631 so far, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Russian forces have also significantly escalated their use of guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions.
In March, approximately 4,800 such munitions were deployed, an increase from 3,370 in February.
Four dead after Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih
17:53 , Barney Davis
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih has risen to four, with three others injured.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported the attack on Telegram.
“Rescue operations are ongoing. A massive fire has broken out,” Vilkul wrote.
“Unfortunately, as of now, the death toll has risen to four,” Vilkul updated on Telegram.
A support center for affected residents will be set up in front of a store near the World War II military equipment monument.
Earlier reports indicated that Russia had targeted one of the city’s industrial facilities with a ballistic missile.
News analysis | Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting
17:23 , Alex Croft
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Donald Trump is peeved. His officials are starting to spin that his plans for almost instant peace in Ukraine may take a lot longer, while Vladimir Putin’s business envoy heads for the White House, supposedly to make amends.
Yet what it truly reveals is that the 47th president continues to be played by the Kremlin.
Trump has unleashed a trade war, expressed colonial designs on two Nato members, scrambled Ukraine’s defensive war plans, shown public contempt for Europe and set about the pillars of American democracy with a sledgehammer.
Trump has shown a remarkable ability to interpret Moscow’s deepest desires and to deliver on them.
That the US president is now saying he is “pissed off” with Putin and is considering – considering – increasing tariffs and sanctions on Russia, is play acting.
Trump’s ‘anger’ at Putin over Ukraine peace deal delay is just play acting
Russia and Ukraine trade accusations of energy facility attacks
16:49 , Alex Croft
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of launching new attacks against each other’s energy facilities on Wednesday, in violation of a US-brokered halt on such strikes.
Both sides said they were providing details of the alleged violations to the US, which persuaded Moscow and Kyiv to agree to the limited truce last month as a potential stepping stone towards a full ceasefire.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had conducted drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region that cut off power to over 1,500 households.
In the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, the state gas company said that a Ukraine drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Russian drone hit an energy substation in Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line in Dnipropetrovsk, cutting off electricity to nearly 4,000 consumers.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is impatient with both sides to move faster towards ending the three-year war.
A Ukrainian drone attack on Kharkiv injured three children (EPA)
Russian missile fired at ‘civilian infrastructure’: city official
16:43 , Steffie Banatvala
A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday killed at least three people, local officials reported.
The head of the city military administration said Russia has fired a ballistic missile at a “civilian infrastructure facility”.
In pictures: Putin meets regional chief in Moscow
16:17 , Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin meets with Head of the Republic of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov at the Kremlin in Moscow (AP)
Putin is set to send an envoy to Washington for talks with the Trump administration (AP)
Russian missile kills three in Kryvyi Rih
15:53 , Alex Croft
Three people have been killed after a Russian missile hit an enterprise in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said.
At least one person was injured, he added on Telegram, while the attack sparked fire.
‘Russia’s position holding up ceasefire’ – Zelensky
15:46 , Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had been sharing information with the United States. He posted on X on Tuesday: “We have shared all information regarding Russia’s violations in the energy sector — there were strikes, and today again in Kherson, a Russian drone targeted an energy facility and equipment — deliberately and purposefully.
“Part of the city was left without electricity. We insist that every such violation must be documented and receive a response from our partners. It is precisely these small details that add up to Russia’s major delays in the diplomatic process.
“The unconditional cessation of strikes proposed by the United States is not being implemented solely because of Russia’s position.”
Nato countries pledge more than £16 billion military support to Ukraine since start of 2025
15:16 , Alex Croft
Nato countries allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros (£16.73 billion) in military support for Ukraine in the first three months of the year, secretary-general Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
Foreign ministers from the alliance meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine against Russia’s three-year-old invasion.
All you need to know so far on Wednesday
14:54 , Alex Croft
If you’re just joining us now, here’s everything you need to know so far on Wednesday:
Senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington this week, where he will likely discuss peace in Ukraine, the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and other topics with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Kremlin did not confirm the visit but said it was “possible”, adding that contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing.
Russia killed one person and injured at least 10, including three children, in an overnight drone attack on Ukraine. Around 74 drones were launched including 14 at the northeastern Kharkiv region, where most of the injuries were recorded. 41 drones were shot down.
Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of damaging energy facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, cutting power to 4,000 people. Both countries had agreed to a halt on energy infrastructure strikes – but they have both accused each other of breaching this deal.
Russia shot down 93 Ukrainian drones, 87 of which were destroyed over the Kursk region, Moscow said. Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk after it was hit by falling drone debris, the regional governor said.
Donald Trump’s pick to become America’s most senior military officer has emphasised the importance of military support for Ukraine. During his senate confirmation hearing, Lieutenant General Dan Caines said US assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.
Elsewhere in the senate, 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – making up half of the senate – banded together to propose sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
Two people were arrested in an alleged Russian plot to blow up a police station in Lviv. The suspects had been offered money to carry out the act.
Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says
14:31 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putin’s “stalling tactics” to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv.
The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was “p***** off” and “very angry” with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire – before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow.
Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germany’s foreign minister – before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm – Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week.
“At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin’s stalling tactics,” the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital.
Read the full report:
Trump must see through Putin’s stalling tactics over Ukraine ceasefire, Germany says
Corruption officers expose $18million embezzlement scheme in Ukraine’s defence ministry
14:13 , Alex Croft
Anti-corruption officers in Ukraine have exposed a $17.8 million embezzlement scheme in the defence ministry, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said.
The funds were embezzled during food procurement for the Armed Forces between 2022 and 2023, and have led to charges being brought against a former head of department within the Ministry of Defence.
Food supplies for the army were arranged through pre-assembled “food kits” taken from a selection of 409 items – but only 10 per cent of those products were regularly ordered, NABU said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Other items such as spices and berries, were very rarely due to their seasonal nature.
“This system allowed suppliers to manipulate prices – artificially inflating the cost of high-demand products while lowering prices for unpopular or seasonal products (such as cherries or apricots in winter).
“At first glance, there were no violations, as the total price of the kit remained unchanged. However, potatoes, supplied in thousands of tonnes, cost a fortune, while seasonal berries and fruits, which were rarely ordered, were priced at mere pennies.”
Ukraine $10billion short in funding needed for recovery efforts – PM
13:46 , Alex Croft
Ukraine is has come up $10 billion short in what is needed for recovery efforts in 2025, Kyiv’s prime minister Denuys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.
Kyiv needs $39.3 billion in international support this year and its partners have confirmed their commitment to covering this amount, Mr Shmyhal said.
But so far the overall shortfall is nearly $10 billion, he said after the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Donor Platform.
“This year, we consider the key areas of joint work of the Ukraine Donor Platform to be budget support, sustainable financing for infrastructure, housing and energy recovery, as well as economic development and investment attraction on the path to the EU,” he said.
In pictures: Zelensky visits wounded troops in Dnipro
13:40 , Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ukrainian troops at a hospital in Dnipro on Wednesday (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)
The Ukrainian president said earlier on Wednesday that the international community must place “new and tangible pressure” on Moscow to force it to end the war (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)
Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk
13:26 , Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.
Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.
The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.
Watch: Sam Kiley visits Kherson where Ukrainian civilians are being targeted by Russian drones in near-daily attacks
13:12 , Alex Croft
Dozens of people evacuated from Kursk building struck by drone debris, official says
12:59 , Alex Croft
Dozens of people were evacuated from an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk following a Ukrainian drone attack, a regional official said on Wednesday.
“As a result of the attack of enemy drones on Kursk, there is damage to an apartment building in the city centre,” the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on Telegram.
At least 60 people were evacuated from the building which was hit with drone debris, he said. “Fortunately, there are no casualties.”
Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack, the size of which remains unclear.
In pictures: Abandoned town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine
12:44 , Alex Croft
The ruined and abandoned town of Maryinka (Mariinka) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)
The abandoned town was home to more than 9,000 people in 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)
The city was largely destroyed during the Russian invasion, and has been abandoned since November 2022. It was reported as fully captured by Russian forces in 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
Comment | Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin
12:29 , Alex Croft
Such is the Trump Tower-sized self-conceit of Donald J Trump that for weeks – if not months – he could not see what virtually the whole of the rest of the world could: Vladimir Putin was playing him like a cheap violin.
Trump, seemingly mesmerised by the Russian leader, gave his friend everything he wanted: dominance in Ukraine, aside from a carve-out for US mineral interests; a Russian zone of influence in Europe; the abandonment of Nato and other allies. All of that in return for the Russians scaling back their nuclear arsenal and giving the Americans a free run at acquiring Greenland and Canada (even if they are not Russia’s to give away and won’t ever happen).
That looked to be the kind of grand bargain Trump was looking for, but Putin overplayed his hand.
Associate editor Sean O’Grady writes:
Putin has been playing Trump like a cheap violin
US Senators push for sanctions on Russia if peace efforts delayed
12:00 , Alex Croft
Half of the US Senate, including 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats, banded together to introduce prospective sanctions on Russia which would be imposed if it refuses to engage in good faith negotiations with Ukraine.
Led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, the group said it would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not engage in talks or initiated another attempt to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“The sanctions against Russia require tariffs on countries who purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. They are hard hitting for a reason,” the two senators said in a statement, a rare moment of bipartisanship in a divided Congress.
“The dominating view in the United States Senate is that Russia is the aggressor, and that this horrific war and Putin’s aggression must end now and be deterred in the future,” they said.
Ukraine marks three years since Russian forces pushed out of Kyiv region
11:51 , Alex Croft
Watch: Ukraine’s firefighters battle blaze after Russian drone strike in Kharkiv
11:45 , Alex Croft
Trump’s pick for top US general stresses need to arm Ukraine
11:32 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump’s nominee to become America’s most senior military general has voiced his support for military assistance to Ukraine to “deter Russia from further aggression”.
Retired Lieutenant General Dan Caine is Mr Trump’s pick to become the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff – the highest-ranking officer in the US armed forces and the main military advisor to the president.
Speaking at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt Gen Caine said US military assistance “improves Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table and deters Russia from further aggression”.
“From a military standpoint, Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and from that standpoint our security assistance helps Ukraine to defend itself,” he said according to the published transcript of his confirmation hearing.
But Washington should “focus on what unique capabilities only the US can provide” while Europe “increases its share of support”.
Lt Gen Caine believes Moscow will “continue to prosecute the war in 2025” because it “likely views the conflict is in its favour”.
Lt Gen Caine faced the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing on Monday (Getty Images)
Who is Putin’s negotiator and what will he discuss?
11:11 , Alex Croft
Kirill Dmitriev, the 49-year-old chief of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is reportedly set to visit Washington to meet Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.
But who is Kyiv-born Mr Dmitriev, and why is he being sent by Moscow on what would be Russia’s first diplomatic visit to the US since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022?
Mr Dmitriev, who holds regular meetings with Vladimir Putin, was appointed in February as Putin’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation.
Born in Kyiv in Soviet Ukraine, the envoy went on to study at Stanford University in California before being awarded an MBA with distinction at Harvard.
He speaks fluent English, worked at Goldman Sachs in New York alongside McKinsey & Company, before returning to Moscow where he worked in an US-Russian investment management company.
Kirill Dmitriev was present for previous Russia-US talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (REUTERS)
He has built strong relations with key members of the Trump team, having played a role in early Russia-US contacts when Mr Trump first took power in 2016. Mr Dmitriev also met US special envoy Steve Witkoff when he visited Moscow in March.
Having flattered Mr Trump, he may be seen as the perfect fit for a Washington visit. “Trump (is) driving tectonic shifts in geopolitics. False malign paradigms (are) collapsing, giving way to common sense and values-driven solutions,” Mr Dmitriev said.
Moscow has likely tasked him with discussing the return of US companies to Russia, rare earths, energy prices, prisoner swaps and peace in Ukraine, among other topics.
Mr Dmitriev was sanctioned by the US as a “a known Putin ally”, but has not been sanctioned by the European Union. According to CNN, Washington has temporarily lifted the sanctions for the visit.
Visit to Washington by Putin envoy is ‘possible’, says Kremlin
10:56 , Alex Croft
A US visit by Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev is “possible”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing, a Kremlin spokesperson added.
Reuters reported that Dmitriev is expected in Washington this week for talks with Donald Trump’s administration.
Watch: Trump warns Zelensky of ‘big problems’ after accusing him of minerals deal u-turn
10:49 , Alex Croft
Two arrested in Russian plot to blow up Lviv police station
10:29 , Alex Croft
Two people have been arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up a police station in the western city of Lviv on Russian instructions, Ukrainian authorities said.
The suspects were carrying out the “instructions of a Russian representative in exchange for a monetary reward”, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Telegram.
They “arrived in Lviv and retrieved explosives hidden in a bag at specific coordinates”, authorities said. “The defendants were set to plant the concealed explosives in an administrative building at a Lviv police station as part of their prearranged plan.”
One of the perpetrators was a 22-year-old woman and resident of Kyiv who had been looking to ear “easy money” through Telegram channels.
After recruitment by Russian intelligence she was tasked with a “test” assignment, posting Russian propaganda leaflets around Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial Ukraine-Russia deal may never work despite concessions made to Putin
10:15 , Alex Croft
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking ships in the Black Sea after intense negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia.
It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.
A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.
The talks with Kyiv came on either side of a marathon 12-hour discussion with Kremlin representatives on Monday, which was described by a Russian official as “challenging” but “useful”.
Rachel Clun reports:
Black Sea ceasefire: Why crucial deal may never work despite concessions to Putin
More pictures from Russian drone attack on Kharkiv
10:03 , Alex Croft
At least eight people were injured, including three children, according to the State Emergency Service (EPA)
Volodymyr Zelensky said around 14 drones were fired at Kharkiv, of the 74 fired by Russia in total (EPA)
Ukrainian experts inspect a drone engine at the site of a shock drone strike in Kharkiv (EPA)
Mapped: Russia advance slows in Donetsk as Ukraine launches counterattacks
09:48 , Alex Croft
Action must be taken against Russia now, says Zelensky
09:35 , Alex Croft
More from Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for a global response following Russia’s overnight drone attack.
In a direct message to Western allies, Mr Zelensky says “new and tangible pressure” is needed on Moscow to bring the war to an end.
The US and European countries must not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia rejected the US ceasefire proposal, he added.
“This systematic and constant nature of Russian strikes clearly indicates that Moscow despises the diplomatic efforts of partners,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X. “Putin does not even want to ensure a partial ceasefire.
“We should not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia said ‘no’ to the American proposal for a ceasefire. Action must be taken as soon as possible.”
Kyiv is ready to work with partners from the US and Europe to achieve a “dignified and lasting peace”, he added.
Three children injured in overnight Russian attacks – Zelensky
09:22 , Alex Croft
Three children were injured during the 74-drone attack on Ukraine by Russian forces, Volodymyr Zelensky added in his X post.
Kharkiv was the most heavily targeted area in the attack, facing at least 14 drones. The attack involved 54 Iran-made Shahed drones in total, the Ukrainian president added.
All the wounded are receiving the “necessary assistance” he said.
Russian attacks damage multiple energy facilities – Zelensky
09:16 , Alex Croft
Russian attacks damaged multiple energy facilities in Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
Facilities in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions were damaged, with electricity cut to nearly 4,000 consumers, Mr Zelensky wrote on X.
A drone hit a substation in the northeastern Sumy region andn artillery fire damaged a power line in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, he said.
Kyiv and Moscow had agreed with the US to a pause on energy infrastructure attacks, but both side has accused the other of violating this truce.
Russia also launched a drone attack in Kharkiv (AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian records 176 clashes with Russian troops, 64 near Pokrovsk
08:49 , Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military recorded 176 clashes with Russian forces over the past day, 64 of which took place on the eastern Pokrovsk front.
Vladimir Putin’s forces have been steadily advancing near Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian town which serves as a supply hub for other areas of the frontline. Russia has aimed to cut supply lines to and from Pokrovsk to other Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Clashes were also recorded on the fronts in Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Lyman, Toretsk, Kursk and others.
The grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine has seen Russia send large masses of troops charging towards stretched Ukrainian defences, claiming incremental territorial gains at the cost of large manpower losses.
ICYMI: Moscow can’t accept US peace proposals in current form – Russian diplomat
08:26 , Alex Croft
Moscow cannot accept the current US proposals on ending the war in Ukraine, a Russian diplomat said on Tuesday, as Washington expresses the first signs of anger over Vladimir Putin’s stalling of a peace settlement.
Russia is giving serious consideration to the proposals but Washington must take into account what the Kremlin regards as the root causes of the conflict, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said according to state media.
“We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept it all in its current form,” he said.
“As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict,” he told Russia’s International Affairs magazine.
“It is completely absent, and that must be overcome,” he was quoted as saying.
Recap: Why is Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin?
08:20 , Alex Croft
After weeks of working with Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, Donald Trump has now said he is “p***** off” with the Russian leader.
In and NBC interview, the US president said he was “very angry” with Putin for attacking Volodymyr Zelensky’s governence.
“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC.
Last week, the Russian president said Ukraine should be put under external UN governance as part of the ceasefire process.
His suggestion that Zelensky’s leadership was illegitimate was met with condemnation from leaders around the world.
“New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” Trump added in his interview with NBC.
It is the first time Trump has appeared to express real anger towards Moscow since taking office in January (AFP/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Putin envoy responds to reports of Washington visit
08:14 , Alex Croft
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s international cooperation envoy, has responded to reports that he is set to visit Washington this week.
“Maybe. The resistance to US–Russia dialogue is real—driven by entrenched interests and old narratives,” he wrote on X.
“But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”
He later posted a poll, asking his followers: “Are good U.S.–Russia relations good for the world?”
Putin envoy to visit Washington for Witkoff meeting
08:03 , Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin’s envoy for international cooperation is reportedly set to visit Washington this week for a meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.
In what would be the first visit by a Russian official to Washington since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow’s presidential envoy for international cooperation Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, two sources told Reuters.
A close advisor to Putin, Dmitriev has been involved in recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia amid warming relations between Washington and Moscow.
He worked with Mr Witkoff to secure the release of American teacher Marc Fogel, who was arrested in Russia for trying to enter the country with a small amount of medical cannabis.
India retires ‘flying coffin’ Soviet fighter jets and rolls out Rafales
Crowds cheered as officials staged a grand farewell for the final two MiG-21 squadrons, totalling around 36 aircraft. The send-off came a day after New Delhi signed a €6 billion ($7 billion USD) deal to acquire 97 domestically designed and built Tejas jets. The retired jets will likely be put up for public display, though the government has yet to announce any plans. India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is set to intensify its push for domestic arms production and new international partnerships. In April, India signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France, adding to the 36 Rafale fighters it has already acquired, and is in talks to buy another 114 Rafales. The Russian-built jets were first inducted in the 1960s.
Crowds cheered as officials staged a grand farewell for the final two MiG-21 squadrons, totalling around 36 aircraft, at an air force base in the northern city of Chandigarh.
The send-off came a day after New Delhi signed a €6 billion ($7 billion USD) deal to acquire 97 domestically designed and built Tejas jets as it seeks to modernise its Soviet-era fleet.
The farewell ceremony included a mock dogfight between Russian MiGs and a colourful display by the Surya Kiran aerobatic team.
The retired jets will likely be put up for public display, though the government has yet to announce any plans.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh, senior air force officials, including veterans who piloted the MiG-21, watched as the storied aircraft made their last pass.
First inducted in the 1960s, India operated a staggering 874 MiG-21s.
Plans to retire them in the 1990s were repeatedly delayed amid local production setbacks, bureaucratic obstacles and corruption scandals.
“MiG-21’s legacy is undeniable. It was a capable — if flawed — fighter that formed the Indian Air Force’s backbone for decades,” former Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar told AFP on the sidelines of the event.
He credited a key MiG-21 bombing campaign for hastening India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
But age caught up with the Soviet-era jet.
‘Flying coffin’
“Designed for simplicity, the MiG-21 was meant to be rugged but faltered as it aged,” Nambiar said.
Engine flameouts, hydraulic failures, and electrical faults were frequent and with no backup systems, emergency landings and ejections became all too common, he added.
The MiG-21’s grim reputation earned it the infamous “flying coffin” moniker in its later years.
Over a period of six decades, some 400 MiG crashes were recorded, claiming the lives of 200 pilots worldwide.
“It’s time to let it go – not as a flawless icon, but as a sobering reminder of the sacrifices made by those who flew it,” Nambiar said.
With the MiG-21’s retirement, India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is set to intensify its push for domestic arms production and new international partnerships.
In April, India signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation. They will join 36 Rafale fighters already acquired.
India is also working with a French company to develop and manufacture fighter jet engines at home.
Angad Singh, co-author of a book on the MiGs, said the country faced an “unenviable position” given its current fighter shortfall.
He, however, added that India was putting its full weight behind the improved Tejas aircraft and was in talks to buy another 114 Rafales.
Regional security concerns loom large for India, especially after an intense four-day clash with arch-rival Pakistan in May, their worst standoff since 1999.
Both sides claimed victory, each boasting of downing the other’s fighter jets.
(cp)
In an about-face, Germany plans to build Europe’s biggest military
In an about-face, Germany plans to build Europe’s biggest military. Germany has spent between 1% and 2% of its gross domestic product on its military. A $117 billion special fund and a 2025 constitutional change will enable close to $400 billion in defense spending through 2029. Some parts of German society, especially businesses in the defense sector, are more ready than others for this historic change.”Building up our military is our top priority,” said incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a speech to parliament in May. “From now on, the federal government will provide the military with as much money as it needs to ensure it becomes Europe’s strongest armed force,” Merz said in the speech to the German parliament. “We are doubling each year in terms of sales and revenue, and also in Terms of head count,” says Quantum Systems’ chief sales officer, Martin Karkour, in an interview with CNN’s John Sutter. “I never used to hear ‘Thank you for your service’ from others, but that’s starting to change,” a German soldier says.
toggle caption Paulius Peleckis/Getty Images
BERLIN — Six weeks into his current term in office, President Trump was asked by a reporter about countries, like Germany, that for decades had not spent 2% of their GDPs on defense — despite, like all NATO countries, having made that commitment.
His response was chilling to many in Europe.
“Well, I think it’s common sense, right?” Trump said, interrupting the reporter asking the question. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.”
A new Trump presidency and a war on European soil have pushed Germany — a country that for the better part of the past two decades has spent between 1% and 2% of its gross domestic product on its beleaguered military — to take the big step of changing its constitution to free up the money to spend more.
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Two months after Trump’s comments, incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave what many observers saw as a historic speech to parliament.
“Building up our military is our top priority,” said Merz. “From now on, the federal government will provide the military with as much money as it needs to ensure it becomes Europe’s strongest armed force. We are Europe’s most populous country and Europe’s biggest economy, and nothing less should be expected from us. Our partners not only expect this — they demand it.”
Changing the national DNA
“So this sense of urgency made a decision possible that was unthinkable before,” says Claudia Major, senior vice president overseeing trans-Atlantic security initiatives at the German Marshall Fund.
She says the German government’s plan over the next decade to spend 3.5% of its GDP on defense — a percentage equal to that of the United States — is a bold and surprising move.
“But we also know that the DNA of a country — the way our country and the citizens behave in defense, how they see military force, how they see their armed forces — takes years and decades to change,” she says. “Normally we say it takes a generation.”
Germany won’t cut social programs for defense. A $117 billion special fund and a 2025 constitutional change suspending what’s known in Germany as the debt brake — or balanced budget spending cap — let it borrow separately from the normal federal budget for defense and infrastructure. This will enable close to $400 billion in defense spending through 2029 without affecting core budgets — for now.
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Some parts of German society, especially businesses in the defense sector, are more ready than others for this historic change.
In an industrial park outside Munich, a worker completes a series of tests on a drone that has just come off the assembly line at Quantum Systems. The aircraft, called the Vector, is the company’s bestselling drone, says Director of Operations Alexandra Rietenbach. “It’s our dual-use product,” she says. “It’s used on the one hand in Ukraine. It’s also used for the German armed forces. It also is used in Europe in general, in different organizations like police, like border control.”
toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR
Rietenbach says Ukrainian troops rely on the Vector and the company’s other drones to gain a military advantage against invading Russian troops. As a result, Quantum Systems’ chief sales officer, Martin Karkour, says sales have picked up. “We are doubling each year in terms of sales and revenue, and also in terms of head count,” he says.
Buying weapons is the easy part
While business for defense companies like Quantum Systems looks promising, Germany’s defense spending boost might take some time when it comes to rebuilding a culture of military service.
At a job fair in Berlin, the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, has set up a recruiting booth staffed by Marco Mann, who has recruited at fairs like this for 18 years. He says the German public’s attitude toward its armed forces is improving.
“I never used to hear ‘Thank you for your service’ from others, but that’s starting to change,” he observes. “People now are thanking us for our support of Ukraine, thanking us for being here — it’s a nice change.”
Germany is the third-biggest provider of military support to Ukraine, after the U.S. and the United Kingdom. It provides weapons systems prized by Ukraine, including Leopard 2 tanks, the IRIS-T air defense systems, ammunition and artillery shells. Germany has also welcomed 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, according to the German Interior Ministry.
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Abdul Rehman Saeed is one of the job seekers at this fair. He’s 32, was born in Pakistan, has lived in Germany for a decade and is a German citizen. He says he’s interested in joining the Bundeswehr as an IT specialist. “I think it’s not about going to the battlefield, but as a preemptive measure to actually help them if they are trying to do something and might need someone with a cybersecurity background, because everything is now cyberwar,” he says.
He says Germany has given him a free education, affordable health care and many other opportunities. “I feel personally responsible to provide back to this society because Germany gave me a life I wanted,” he says.
In return, he says, if he gets job security, then joining the Bundeswehr is a “win-win.” And as the Bundeswehr has more money and begins the challenging process of recruiting more personnel, it hopes to gain prestige, both domestically and internationally.
Esme Nicholson contributed to reporting from Berlin.