Germany plans to fund a $500m (€460m) package of military equipment and munitions for Ukraine sourced from the United States, NATO announced on Wednesday. Alliance chief Mark Rutte commended Berlin for the decision, saying: 'This delivery will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.' Germany's foreign and defence ministries said the support focused on 'critical air defence capabilities' against Russian airstrikes that were 'killing more and more civilians throughout Ukraine.' The Netherlands and Sweden have also pledged major contributions.
The move came as US President Donald Trump warned of 'very severe consequences' if Vladimir Putin did not agree to end the war after their summit in Alaska on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a virtual meeting with European leaders, said Putin 'is bluffing' about seeking peace. 'He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front,' Zelenskyy said amid a recent Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the leaders' discussion with Trump as 'constructive and good'.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to welcome Zelenskyy to London on Thursday. Starmer said there was now a 'viable' chance for a ceasefire and that Ukraine's military backers had drawn up workable plans for a truce, while also preparing to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. Trump suggested a second summit including Zelenskyy if his meeting with Putin goes well, and reiterated that no territorial concessions would be made without Kyiv's involvement.
In other developments, fallen debris from Ukrainian drones caused a fire at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd, with no casualties reported. Separately, Norwegian authorities confirmed that Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in western Norway in April, releasing water for four hours before the attack was detected.
