German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out any prospect of a Russian victory in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end the war, saying the choice now rests with the Kremlin. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Merz pledged continued support for Kyiv as Berlin spearheaded a European initiative to channel €70 billion in aid to Ukraine this year and next, part of a broader €140 billion military assistance package planned for 2026–2027.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the summit, renewed his push for NATO membership and is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy also signed three new drone cooperation agreements with Denmark, Estonia, and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, senior German lawmakers stressed the need to involve Trump in resolving the conflict, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius reported progress in talks with Washington on acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces struck 19 tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov over the past 72 hours.