German customs have raided three companies suspected of illegally exporting machine components and chemicals to Russia in violation of EU sanctions, according to a statement released Thursday.
The thorny issue of what to do with Russian assets has not only stumped Western leaders but also officials in Berlin who are saddled with three crumbling buildings belonging to Moscow.
Armin Laschet, a prominent member of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party, called on Friday for renewed dialogue with Russia, saying the current situation was "absurd".
A Ukrainian man arrested in Italy this week over the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines from Russia to Europe on Friday refused to be extradited to Germany, reports said.
For European leaders, the absence of a Ukraine deal at the summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has at least one upside: They have not yet been completely sidelined in a key strategic moment for the Continent's future.
A three-way summit US President Donald Trump has mooted with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could take place in Europe, Germany's leader suggested on Saturday.
European leaders on Saturday expressed support for a three-way summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia's Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump, after a US-Russia summit failed to produce a ceasefire.
European leaders urged more "pressure" on Russia overnight Saturday, after the announcement of a Trump-Putin summit to end the war in Ukraine raised concern that an agreement would require Kyiv to cede swathes of territory.
Germany said on Friday it will soon start delivering two more US-made Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, as Kyiv faces a growing number of Russian drone and missile attacks.
Germany's new top diplomat on Wednesday sought to stress unity with the United States on Ukraine, warning of further sanctions if Russia does not budge in stalled negotiations to end the war.
Western powers must not be divided in confronting Russia over the Ukraine war, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday, urging a united stance between Europe and the United States.
The leaders of France, Britain and Germany arrived in Ukraine on Saturday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, vowing to ratchet up pressure on Russia until it agrees a ceasefire the day after a lavish military parade in Moscow.
Frightened by the prospect of US security disengagement and three years of Moscow's war against Ukraine, European countries are debating reinstating compulsory military service to boost their defences in the face of Russian aggression.
Relations between the United States and Europe have historically had their ups and downs, but a storm has now blown up as a result of Washington's recent strategic shift. Will it blow through or get more intense?
Germany is set to rearm in a way not seen since World War II after likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said his government would vastly increase defence spending.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Tuesday presented a five-part plan to mobilise some €800 billion for Europe's defence -- and help provide "immediate" military support for Ukraine after the US suspended aid.
European leaders threw their support behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his spat with Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world, casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russian dissident punk band Pussy Riot played at a pro-Ukraine protest in Berlin on Saturday, on the eve of German elections as the war nears three years.
EU countries on Wednesday agreed a new round of sanctions on Russia as the bloc looks to keep up pressure in the face of US talks with Russia. France will host a new Ukraine summit, the president announced.
European leaders have been left in shock after the US sidelined them in its bid to bring peace to Ukraine and suggested it would no longer guarantee the continent's security, but will they now take action?
Europe's security is at a turning point, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, as she arrived in Paris for an emergency meeting to address the US's shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine.
France's President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from key European countries on Monday to discuss the continent's security, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, amid growing concerns over US efforts to end the Ukraine war.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview published Friday that Donald Trump privately held "more nuanced" positions on Ukraine, days after he spoke with the president-elect of the United States by phone.
Political rivals of Germany's embattled leader Olaf Scholz argued on Saturday that his phone call with Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine war had handed a "propaganda win" to the Russian president.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Germany's Olaf Scholz on Friday of playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Chancellor spoke by phone to the Kremlin chief for the first time in almost two years.
