Free Republic

Not for the first time, European capitals are gripped with apprehension that Russian President Vladimir Putin will surgically divide the transatlantic alliance as well as get everything he wants in Ukraine.Ahead of the suddenly announced summit in Alaska on Friday between Putin and US President Donald Trump, one European diplomat, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak on the record, told CNN: “We are at risk of being a footnote in history.”In part, European fears are down to just how little is known about what the Kremlin has proposed in order to halt the fighting...

A host of European leaders welcomed the news that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law restoring independence to his country’s main anti-corruption agencies. A total of 331 out of 340 lawmakers present voted in favor of the bill on Thursday, forming an overwhelming constitutional majority.

The orders include the purchase of 20 Eurofighter jets from Airbus, up to 5,000 Boxer armored vehicles from Rheinmetall (ETR:RHMG), and at least 3,500 Patria Oyj armored vehicles, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions. The German cabinet is scheduled to approve its medium-term financial planning on Wednesday. The plan will more than double the country’s annual defense budget to as much as €162 billion ($189 billion) within four years.

Okay, this is a very big win. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlines some more details of the U.S-EU trade agreement. The parameters fall similar to the Japanese deal, without the banking aspect. The EU will face (and accept) a 15% tariff rate for most exports to the USA including autos, that’s huge, even with some zero-for-zero tariff sectors outlined. The primary motivating factor was to avoid the 35% tariff rate scheduled for August 1st and provide the EU corporations with certainty in their tariff rate as applied by the USA (15%). WATCH:This is almost full acquiescence to...

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now Germany’s largest opposition group and even topped several opinion polls – briefly putting it ahead of now-Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right party – in the weeks after February’s federal election. At the same time, the AfD is facing growing calls for an outright ban, most recently from another major political party. In May, the country’s domestic intelligence agency formally classified the AfD as an extremist entity that threatens democracy. In a 1,100-page report, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, also laid out its findings that the party was...

Ukrainian officials say that despite media reports that the Trump administration is halting the delivery of critical air defense interceptors and other munitions, at least some U.S. arms continue to be provided and they have not been informed that these transfers will no longer be made. The news comes at a particularly critical time, as Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks. Earlier this week, Moscow launched its largest air barrage of the war, firing 477 drones and 60 missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Overall, major and relatively sudden shortfalls in planned weapons deliveries could have wide-ranging impacts...

Self-declared “citizen patrols” – some of them hundreds strong – have gathered on the Polish side of the border with Germany to oppose returns of migrants whom the German authorities have found to have entered illegally from Poland. Over the last two years, Germany has sent back thousands of such migrants, prompting a growing backlash in Poland. The practice has been criticised by the Polish government, which is in turn facing accusations from the right-wing opposition that it is taking too little action in response. On Saturday, a group of around 200 residents of Szczecin, a Polish city near the...

The German Chancellor said that now Ukraine can attack military targets in Russia BERLIN, May 26. /TASS/. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Germany will no longer limit the range of weapons Berlin and its allies supply to Kiev. "There are no longer any restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine – not from the British, not from the French, not from us. And none from the Americans either," he said during a discussion at a forum organized by the WDR broadcaster. "That means that now Ukraine can defend itself by, say, attacking military targets in Russia,"...

Aleksandar Vulin stressed that the process is accompanied by "the active work of Western intelligence services"MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Brussels is working on overthrowing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the active support of Western special services, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin told TASS. "The overthrow of my government on the streets of Belgrade isn't a protest of dissatisfaction, but the active work of Western intelligence services and a political project of the Brussels administration to replace President Vucic and bring to power a government that shares EU values and that will agree with the EU administration's policy of recognizing Kosovo,...

Germany has embarked on its first permanent foreign deployment since World War II, with the nation's parliament approving the dispatch of troops to eastern Lithuania, along NATO's eastern boundary. This marks a historic moment for Germany, as it will be the inaugural occasion of a continuous German military presence overseas since the Second World War. The full operational capability of the unit is expected by 2027. Brigadier General Christoph Huber, who leads the brigade, stated, "We have a clear mission. We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO's eastern flank." While Germany...

Following his party’s victory in federal elections on Sunday, Friedrich Merz, the likely next Chancellor of Germany, rejected overtures from President Donald Trump while calling for “independence” from the United States and accusing Washington of election interference. On Sunday, German voters firmly rejected the former leftist governing coalition of Social Democrats and Greens in favour of the supposedly conservative Christian Democrats and the populist-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). In response to the election results, President Donald Trump commented on his Truth Social platform: “Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election. Much...

BERLIN, Germany – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a stark warning to the United States, suggesting that diplomatic relations could be at risk following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky. Baerbock, a leading figure in Germany’s Green Party, has been a vocal advocate for continued Western military and financial support to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. However, Trump, who is expected to be the Republican nominee in the upcoming U.S. elections, has repeatedly expressed scepticism over America’s role in the conflict, hinting at a potential shift in U.S....

On Friday, Vice President JD Vance gave a historic defense of free speech at the Munich Security Conference. In front of a clearly hostile assemblage of European diplomats, Vance confronted our allies with their systemic censorship as they demanded more support to “defend democracy.” For the free speech community, it was akin to Ronald Reagan’s call: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Vance questioned how our allies could claim to be the bastions of freedom while denying free expression to their citizens. He then delivered this haymaker: “If you are running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the formation of an “Armed Forces of Europe” in a speech delivered before the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday. While the Trump administration has drawn feigned outrage throughout European capitals for daring to suggest that they meet their NATO defence spending obligations, President Zelensky was hailed with applause at the Munich Security Conference as he called for an international European army. Zelensky argued that a European army would be necessary for Europe to take back its own destiny and to ensure its safety if America refused to come to its rescue.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz risked the wrath of Donald Trump as blasted the U.S, President for being 'selfish'. -snip- 'The words of US President Donald Trump about the use of Ukraine's natural resources in exchange for military assistance are selfish.' Scholz argued the valuable minerals should be sold by Ukraine to pay for what it will need to rebuild after the war. He also suggested that 'all of us' - as in European allies who helped Ukraine - should be allowed access to the materials. But Ukraine seems more open to the idea of doing it Trump's way. Sharing Ukrainian...

Volodymyr Zelensky says he has again discussed the notion of deploying Western troops to Ukraine to face down future Russian aggression in a telephone call with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron. The Ukrainian and French presidents continue to be the central nexus of organisation for a mooted deployment of Western troops to support Kyiv. Zelensky confirmed he had discussed the matter again with Macron on Monday evening. Announcing the call, Zelensky said the pair had discussed the battlefield situation and agreed to continue working closely on “achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees.” Zelensky said one of those guarantees...

Here's my conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa).It was an intense and heartfelt conversation, my goal for which was to do my small part in pushing for peace.We spoke in a mix of 3 languages: English, Ukrainian, and Russian. It's fully dubbed in each of those 3 languages. The original (mixed-language version) is available as well. So the options are: - Audio: English, Ukrainian, Russian, Original (Mixed) - Subtitles: English, Ukrainian, RussianIt's available here on X and everywhere else. On X, I'm uploading the Full English overdub version. The other versions will be available on YouTube (see comment thread).Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction...

South African-American billionaire Elon Musk promoted the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in unambiguous terms in a newspaper column, prompting the publication’s opinions editor to resign in protest. Germany has been failed by its legacy parties and is teetering on the brink of collapse, Elon Musk wrote in an op-ed for the Sunday edition of the national newspaper of record Die Welt. His diagnoses of Germany’s problems came with a suggested solution, voting for the right-sovereigntist AfD. The legacy media and prevailing political opinion in mainstream Germany considers the AfD extreme if not outright dangerous. Moves to ban the party are...

Keir Starmer must strengthen the rules around political donations to protect the electoral system from foreign interference, the Electoral Commission has said, amid rising concerns about Elon Musk’s plans to donate millions of pounds to Reform UK. Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the elections watchdog, said that linking donations to political parties to the UK profits of companies owned by foreigners was one of the urgent changes needed to retain the trust of voters. The move, which the Guardian understands is being considered by the government, could cap the amount that Musk, the world’s richest man, could donate through the...

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine for the first time in more than two years Monday and vowed to keep supporting Kyiv in the war, just weeks after he was rebuked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for having a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conflict is approaching a pivotal new phase, with the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump taking office next month and potentially determining the trajectory of the war after the president-elect´s pledge to end the fighting. Ukraine is sensitive to whether cracks might be appearing in the unity of its...