Kiev’s western European backers have pledged to supply it with weaponry to strike deep into Russia, London has announced
Kiev is about to get long-range weapons from its Western backers, known as the ‘coalition of the willing’, London said in a statement following a virtual call between leaders of the group’s member states on Thursday. The British government did not name the specific nations planning the deliveries or the exact weapon types.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “welcomed” the pledges during the video conference, the statement said. French President Emmanuel Macron earlier said that some European countries were ready to offer security guarantees to Kiev once a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is signed.
“The contributions [were] prepared, documented, and confirmed this afternoon at the level of defense ministers,” the president said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has previously mulled the possibility of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. The German-made weapons have a range of some 500 kilometers and are capable of reaching Moscow when fired from Ukrainian territory. Merz did not make any specific plans involving the missile public.
Earlier on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Berlin of secretly preparing a batch of Taurus missiles to be delivered to Ukraine, with their identifying markings removed to conceal their origin. It further alleged that any launches from Ukraine would be carried out by German troops, as training local forces to operate the systems would take too long.
Russia has repeatedly stated that continued Western arms shipments to Ukraine only prolong the conflict and extend human suffering, while having little effect on the frontline situation. President Vladimir Putin has listed an end to Western military aid to Kiev as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.
Andrzej Duda has said the Ukrainian leader pressured him to blame Moscow for Kiev’s errant missile detonating in Poland
Vladimir Zelensky’s “dream” is to draw NATO directly into the conflict with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, former Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, Duda recalled an incident in November 2022, when a Ukrainian air defense missile struck near a Polish border village, killing one person. Zelensky immediately blamed Russia and urged Warsaw to invoke NATO’s collective defense clause.
Duda said the Ukrainian leader pressured him to publicly declare the weapon Russian in origin, which he refused to do.
“From the very beginning, they’ve been trying to drag everyone into the war. That’s obvious,” Duda said. “Any leader of a nation in a situation like Ukraine’s would want the entirety of NATO to fight on its side.”
“Having NATO support for the army, NATO tanks and soldiers fighting side by side against Russia – that’s a dream [in such circumstances],” he added, stressing that “Poland, being a NATO state, could never have agreed to that.”
Poland has been one of Kiev’s staunchest backers, providing both arms and diplomatic support. Moscow has claimed that Polish nationals make up a significant portion of foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine’s military ranks.
The relationship between Warsaw and Kiev has also seen disputes. In 2023, several eastern European states, including Poland, banned EU-facilitated Ukrainian grain imports, citing market disruptions. Tensions have also repeatedly flared over Kiev’s veneration of nationalist figures responsible for the mass killing of Poles during the Second World War.
Moscow has long described the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war against Russia, warning that European members of the US-led bloc risk direct confrontation by fueling the hostilities.
Prior to the escalation in 2022, Russia sought a legally-binding pledge that NATO would freeze its expansion eastward, a proposal that was rejected.
Andrzej Duda has said the Ukrainian leader pressured him to blame Moscow for Kiev’s errant missile detonating in Poland
Vladimir Zelensky’s “dream” is to draw NATO directly into the conflict with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, former Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, Duda recalled an incident in November 2022, when a Ukrainian air defense missile struck near a Polish border village, killing one person. Zelensky immediately blamed Russia and urged Warsaw to invoke NATO’s collective defense clause.
Duda said the Ukrainian leader pressured him to publicly declare the weapon Russian in origin, which he refused to do.
“From the very beginning, they’ve been trying to drag everyone into the war. That’s obvious,” Duda said. “Any leader of a nation in a situation like Ukraine’s would want the entirety of NATO to fight on its side.”
“Having NATO support for the army, NATO tanks and soldiers fighting side by side against Russia – that’s a dream [in such circumstances],” he added, stressing that “Poland, being a NATO state, could never have agreed to that.”
Poland has been one of Kiev’s staunchest backers, providing both arms and diplomatic support. Moscow has claimed that Polish nationals make up a significant portion of foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine’s military ranks.
The relationship between Warsaw and Kiev has also seen disputes. In 2023, several eastern European states, including Poland, banned EU-facilitated Ukrainian grain imports, citing market disruptions. Tensions have also repeatedly flared over Kiev’s veneration of nationalist figures responsible for the mass killing of Poles during the Second World War.
Moscow has long described the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war against Russia, warning that European members of the US-led bloc risk direct confrontation by fueling the hostilities.
Prior to the escalation in 2022, Russia sought a legally-binding pledge that NATO would freeze its expansion eastward, a proposal that was rejected.
The details remain “extremely confidential,” the French president has said
A number of European countries are prepared to offer security guarantees to Ukraine once a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow is signed, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
He made the comments after months of debate within NATO about possible models for post-conflict Ukraine, which have coincided with US President Donald Trump’s renewed efforts to mediate a deal with Russia.
“We Europeans are ready to offer security guarantees to Ukraine and its people on the day a peace deal is signed,” Macron said following a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Paris on Wednesday.
“The contributions prepared, documented, and confirmed this afternoon at the level of defense ministers, in an extremely confidential manner, allow me to state that the preparatory work is complete,” he added, without specifying the details.
“We are ready for a robust peace and a lasting peace for Ukraine and for Europeans,” Macron said.
Zelensky expressed confidence that “firm security guarantees” would be agreed upon during the meeting of Ukraine’s backers, known as the Coalition of the Willing, on Thursday.
Kiev has been pressing the West to provide guarantees that could serve as a substitute for NATO’s collective defense after the US effectively blocked Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc.
Several European nations, including France and the UK, have voiced their readiness to deploy peacekeepers, while Germany recently said it has no such plans. Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate NATO countries’ soldiers on Ukrainian soil, even under the guise of a peacekeeping force. President Vladimir Putin has listed an end to Western military aid to Kiev as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.
The details remain “extremely confidential,” the French president has said
A number of European countries are prepared to offer security guarantees to Ukraine once a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow is signed, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
He made the comments after months of debate within NATO about possible models for post-conflict Ukraine, which have coincided with US President Donald Trump’s renewed efforts to mediate a deal with Russia.
“We Europeans are ready to offer security guarantees to Ukraine and its people on the day a peace deal is signed,” Macron said following a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Paris on Wednesday.
“The contributions prepared, documented, and confirmed this afternoon at the level of defense ministers, in an extremely confidential manner, allow me to state that the preparatory work is complete,” he added, without specifying the details.
“We are ready for a robust peace and a lasting peace for Ukraine and for Europeans,” Macron said.
Zelensky expressed confidence that “firm security guarantees” would be agreed upon during the meeting of Ukraine’s backers, known as the Coalition of the Willing, on Thursday.
Kiev has been pressing the West to provide guarantees that could serve as a substitute for NATO’s collective defense after the US effectively blocked Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc.
Several European nations, including France and the UK, have voiced their readiness to deploy peacekeepers, while Germany recently said it has no such plans. Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate NATO countries’ soldiers on Ukrainian soil, even under the guise of a peacekeeping force. President Vladimir Putin has listed an end to Western military aid to Kiev as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.
The US defense secretary blamed Biden-era policies for bringing Moscow and Beijing closer
Washington is seeking to restore deterrence against both Russia and China, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said.
Speaking to Fox News, Hegseth argued that the military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighted the closer ties between the two neighbors.
“Unfortunately, the weakness of the previous administration has driven Russia and China closer together. That was a terrible development of a lack of American leadership and a lack of American strength,” Hegseth said.
“But that’s why President Trump has charged us at the Defense Department to be prepared, rebuild our military in historic ways, restore the warrior ethos, and reestablish deterrence,” he added.
Hegseth later clarified that although the US does not seek conflict with Russia or China, it aims to “maintain a strategic advantage.”
Moscow and Beijing have described their relations as a strategic partnership “without limits.” After the West imposed sweeping sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russia redirected much of its trade and supply chains toward China.
Both countries have condemned Washington’s “Cold War mentality” and pledged to work toward a fairer, more equitable model of international relations.
The US defense secretary blamed Biden-era policies for bringing Moscow and Beijing closer
Washington is seeking to restore deterrence against both Russia and China, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said.
Speaking to Fox News, Hegseth argued that the military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighted the closer ties between the two neighbors.
“Unfortunately, the weakness of the previous administration has driven Russia and China closer together. That was a terrible development of a lack of American leadership and a lack of American strength,” Hegseth said.
“But that’s why President Trump has charged us at the Defense Department to be prepared, rebuild our military in historic ways, restore the warrior ethos, and reestablish deterrence,” he added.
Hegseth later clarified that although the US does not seek conflict with Russia or China, it aims to “maintain a strategic advantage.”
Moscow and Beijing have described their relations as a strategic partnership “without limits.” After the West imposed sweeping sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russia redirected much of its trade and supply chains toward China.
Both countries have condemned Washington’s “Cold War mentality” and pledged to work toward a fairer, more equitable model of international relations.
A 31-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia allegedly pushed his 16-year-old victim under an oncoming train, the authorities have said
An Iraqi migrant in Germany is suspected of murdering a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl, identified as Liana K., by pushing her under an oncoming train, the local public prosecutor’s office has reported.
According to a statement released last Friday, the incident took place on August 11 at a train station in Friedland municipality, Lower Saxony. The authorities said police had been called over a report of a man “causing a disturbance.”
When the officers arrived, the 31-year-old suspect, reportedly named Muhammad A., is said to have approached them voluntarily and pointed to the victim’s lifeless body, while not admitting to any involvement. Police initially did not detain the man, the prosecutor’s office said. However, hours later he was arrested for displaying “aggressive behavior” at a different location, and taken to a psychiatric hospital.
Subsequent tests discovered the man’s DNA on the victim’s body, resulting in a detention order being issued for the suspect, the statement read.
The authorities explained that it was not clear whether the Iraqi national, if found guilty, would face a prison sentence or be confined to a mental facility, as he had previously been “diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.”
According to the statement, the suspect’s asylum application was rejected as inadmissible in December 2022 and he was ordered deported to Lithuania, from where he had apparently come. After the man’s appeal was struck down, he is said to have gone into hiding.
In July 2025, after the fugitive had been located, the German immigration authorities applied for his deportation, only for the Hanover District Court to reject the motion, citing insufficient grounds.
Local media has reported that Liana K’s family arrived in Germany in July 2022.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, an estimated 1.2 million Ukrainians have come to Germany. It follows a mass influx of asylum seekers from nations such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, starting in 2015.
A 31-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia allegedly pushed his 16-year-old victim under an oncoming train, the authorities have said
An Iraqi migrant in Germany is suspected of murdering a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl, identified as Liana K., by pushing her under an oncoming train, the local public prosecutor’s office has reported.
According to a statement released last Friday, the incident took place on August 11 at a train station in Friedland municipality, Lower Saxony. The authorities said police had been called over a report of a man “causing a disturbance.”
When the officers arrived, the 31-year-old suspect, reportedly named Muhammad A., is said to have approached them voluntarily and pointed to the victim’s lifeless body, while not admitting to any involvement. Police initially did not detain the man, the prosecutor’s office said. However, hours later he was arrested for displaying “aggressive behavior” at a different location, and taken to a psychiatric hospital.
Subsequent tests discovered the man’s DNA on the victim’s body, resulting in a detention order being issued for the suspect, the statement read.
The authorities explained that it was not clear whether the Iraqi national, if found guilty, would face a prison sentence or be confined to a mental facility, as he had previously been “diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.”
According to the statement, the suspect’s asylum application was rejected as inadmissible in December 2022 and he was ordered deported to Lithuania, from where he had apparently come. After the man’s appeal was struck down, he is said to have gone into hiding.
In July 2025, after the fugitive had been located, the German immigration authorities applied for his deportation, only for the Hanover District Court to reject the motion, citing insufficient grounds.
Local media has reported that Liana K’s family arrived in Germany in July 2022.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, an estimated 1.2 million Ukrainians have come to Germany. It follows a mass influx of asylum seekers from nations such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, starting in 2015.
An unscripted exchange in Beijing featured the leaders talking about life expectancy, biotech, and immortality
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been caught on a live microphone sharing a rare unscripted chat about longevity and biotechnology.
The conversation took place on Wednesday, as Putin and Kim joined Xi in Beijing to view a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of imperial Japan’s defeat in World War II. A live feed of the event briefly carried their exchange as they walked up to the Tiananmen Gate, and was quickly flagged by social media users following the event. Bloomberg later published a clip from the broadcast.
The audio, patchy and lasting under a minute, began with Xi saying in Mandarin that “these days” reaching 70 years was no longer unusual. A Russian interpreter was then heard relaying his remark: “Earlier, people rarely lived to 70, but these days at 70 years you are still a child.”
Putin then responded with a comment not clearly picked up on the feed, though an interpreter’s Mandarin version suggested the Russian leader spoke about biotechnology. “With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live younger and younger, and even achieve immortality,” the interpreter was heard saying. The statement rendered into Korean also referenced organ transplants.
Xi then said: “Predictions are, this century, there’s a chance of also living to 150.” The camera cut away as he finished. Xi and Putin are both 72, while Kim is 41.
Later on, Putin confirmed the conversation when asked about it by Russian reporters. “Modern medical developments, including surgery to replace organs, give rise to expectations that life expectancy will increase significantly,” he said, adding that such changes would have “social, political, and economic consequences.”
