Tuesday’s top story: Ukraine peace plan comes together in Berlin
European leaders on Monday proposed a European-led "multinational force" with US support to enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine, according to a joint statement.
The force would be part of "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine from the United States and European powers aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war.
The statement -- whose signatories included the leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- was released as European leaders gathered with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.
The statement also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between a dozen European leaders and US officials in talks over the outlines of a peace proposal.
Germany's government had previously stressed that security guarantees remain key to any lasting Ukraine peace deal.
For his part, US President Donald Trump insisted that a deal to end the Ukraine war was closer than ever, after Washington said it offered Kyiv NATO-like security guarantees and voiced confidence Moscow would accept.
Asked if he had recently spoken directly to Vladimir Putin, Trump replied "yeah, I have," but did not give any details.
But Trump appeared to suggest that in exchange for security guarantees, Ukraine must agree to give Russia the parts of the eastern Donbas region that Kyiv still holds -- something Zelensky previously ruled out.
As of late Monday evening, Russia, whose full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, had not reacted to the proposal. However, a recent report by the US think tank "The Institute for the Study of War" suggested that Russia was prepared to reject virtually all peace proposals that Ukraine might offer.
Meanwhile, Tagesspiegel has reported that on Tuesday morning German Chancellor Merz, along with Zelensky appealed to Putin for a temporary ceasefire in the coming days. They are asking Russia's offensive forces to "leave the Ukrainian people undisturbed by further bombing and missile attacks, at least over Christmas".
German, Ukrainian defence firms join forces to make drones
A German drone maker and a Ukrainian defence tech start-up announced Monday they are forming a joint venture to mass-produce unmanned aerial vehicles for the Ukrainian military.
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, drones have become a crucial part of the conflict and both sides have ramped up production.
Quantum Systems, based in the southern German state of Bavaria, and Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics will make the drones in Germany.
The Financial Times reported the deal was worth 100 million euros, and that the companies want to produce 10,000 drones next year at a new factory in southern Germany.
The project will "establish Europe's first fully automated, industrial-scale foreign production line for drones for the Ukrainian armed forces", the firms said in a statement.
READ ALSO: How can Europe protect its skies against 'escalating' drone menace?
German online bank N26 hit with new restrictions
German financial regulators on Monday imposed new restrictions on online bank N26 over shortcomings in its operations, the latest turbulence to hit the lender.
"There were serious deficiencies, particularly in risk and complaint management and in the organisation of the lending business," according to watchdog BaFin, which carried out a special audit of the lender last year.
N26 said that it was in "close and constructive dialogue with the supervisory authorities and the appointed special representative" in a statement sent to AFP.
The bank, which was founded in 2013 and operates in 24 countries, said it was implementing a plan with measures such as adjustments to governance structures.
READ ALSO: READERS' VOICES - Your tips on the best banks and savings options in Germany
It was just the latest problem for the online bank, which has been in the regulator's crosshairs since 2018 after a media investigation found it was possible to open an account with forged IDs.
Deutsche Bahn wants new start date for Stuttgart 21 by mid-2026
Stuttgart passengers face further delays on the long-awaited Stuttgart 21 rail project, with Deutsche Bahn (DB) pushing a new commissioning timeline until mid-2026 at the earliest.
READ ALSO: Where train passengers around Stuttgart face disruptions this December
DB CEO Evelyn Palla announced plans for a comprehensive review on Monday after talks with project partners, stressing the need to avoid rushing amid ongoing digitisation snags at the underground hub.
A partial opening, once eyed for late 2026, is now off the table, with full operations unlikely before end-2027. Baden-WĂĽrttemberg's Green Premier Winfried Kretschmann welcomed the call for transparency but urged DB to rebuild eroding trust through clear next steps.
Launched in 2010 with a 2019 target, Stuttgart 21 has seen repeated postponements from its €4.5 billion-plus price tag.
Long-distance and select regional lines were slated for the new station by December 2026, but technical hurdles persist.
German authorities seek to deport man suspected of 'planning an attack'
German authorities detained a 21-year-old man in the central city of Madgdeburg who was allegedly plotting to attack "large crowds", regional officials told AFP on Monday.
The man, who is originally from Central Asia, expressed plans to carry out an attack that "could have had an Islamist motivation", according to the interior ministry of Saxony-Anhalt, the eastern state that includes Magdeburg.
The ministry said it was preparing a deportation order, citing a "fact-based prognosis" that the man may pose a danger to Germany or a "terrorist threat".
The 21-year-old man was taken into custody on Friday, the same day that German police arrested five men for allegedly plotting an Islamist car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the southern German state of Bavaria.
Nearly a year ago, Magdeburg was the site of a deadly car-ramming attack on the crowded Christmas market in the city's historic central square, which killed six people and injured hundreds.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.
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