Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap!
Nato’s most senior commander in Europe confirmed that preparations are now fully under way to delivery of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, as he warned that Russia is and will remain a threat to the alliance in Europe even if a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine is found (9:48).
Gen Alexus Grynkewich said the alliance was working closely with allies, including specifically Germany, on the transfer to Ukraine, with clear instructions “to move as quickly as possible.”
German chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed the importance of the deal agreed with US president Donald Trump, but noted that European countried needed “clarity as to how the US will replace” the weapons sent to Ukraine (17:15).
His comments come hours after Switzerland warned that the US informed its defence ministry that the expected Patriot delivery will be delayed as a result of new support for Ukraine (14:13).
UK prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed meanwhile that the proposed peacekeeping force by the so-called Coalition of the Willing will include a land element, as he repeatedly called to increase pressure on Russia’s Vladimir Putin to force him into peace talks with Ukraine (17:38).
Merz and Starmer met in London where they signed a new bilateral treaty between the UK and Germany (10:04), which includes plans to look at the feasibility of launching a new direct train connection between London and Berlin.
Elsewhere,
Farmers and nature campaigers have led the opposition to the proposed new EU budget, warning about the impact of changes proposed to the way it is structured (16:24).
Germany’s Merz also spoke critically about the European Commission’s proposal to create new taxes on European companies, saying he would oppose their introduction (17:36).
While in Ukraine, the country’s parliament confirmed the new government, led by Yulia Svyrydenko, which is meant to offer a fresh start for the wartorn country (11:02, 14:47, 14:58, 15:04).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
One final thing to add on the Starmer/Merz talks in London is that they committed to looking at the feasibility of starting a direct train service between London and Berlin.
Our transport correspondent Gwyn Topham noted:
While direct trains to new European countries may be at least a decade away, the international train operator Eurostar has spoken of its ambition to open new routes to Frankfurt and Geneva. Other potential rival operators, including Virgin, are hoping to start cross-Channel services.
Opening new routes has been difficult due to commercial viability, different track and train systems, and border requirements and station capacity.
Eurostar’s longest direct route to date, London to Amsterdam, has had to overcome numerous difficulties, largely linked to border security and passport control, since its delayed inception in 2018.
The demand for direct London-Berlin trains is unclear. Passengers can travel between the UK and German capitals in about 10 hours, changing in Brussels and Cologne.
(For what it’s worth, I’d love that train connection, so yes, please!)
Merz says he 'deplores' Britain's decision to leave EU - snap analysis
As my colleague Andrew Sparrow rightly notes over on the UK blog, Merz also chose to go a bit further than perhaps usual diplomatic niceties allow, saying in his opening remarks he “deplored it deeply” that the UK decided to leave the European Union.
It’s interesting – if not entirely surprising, obviously – to hear him say it so bluntly while standing alongside the UK prime minister.
He’s not the first one though: the French president, Emmanuel Macron, directly and repeatedly criticised Brexit in his remarks during his recent state visit in the UK, too.
Starmer confirms western peacekeeping force in Ukraine includes land element
Closing the press conference, Starmer goes back to Ukraine and says the focus is on getting Russia’s Putin to the table to agree to an unconditional ceasefire.
“We have been talking for some time about peace through strength, and that is why we must provide Ukraine with the capability it needs to be in the strongest possible position,” he says.
Asked specifically about presence on the ground, he confirms that the peacekeeping force proposed by the so-called Coalition of the Willing, designed by military planners from participating countries, includes “plans for the air, for the sea, and yes, for land.”
“Most importantly, and often the most difficult, we’ve got a command structure in place so that the plans can move from the plan stage to being operationalized very quickly,” he says.
And that concludes the press conference.
Germany's Merz rules out support for new EU taxes on companies to fund bloc's budget
Merz also gets asked about the EU budget and makes it very clear that he’s not really a big fan and has lots of questions to ask of the European Commission.
He says the budget appears to be rightly changing the weighting of different elements, dedicating more funds to urgent issues like defence and security, and he welcomes that change, but points out to questions about its funding.
He says we cannot accept new taxes on companies that would be imposed directly by the EU and says he doesn’t think there is a legal basis for that measure.
“As far as Germany is concerned, I can exclude Germany pursuing such an approach,” he says, adding that it’s necessary to reduce, not increase burden on European companies.
“Our aim is not to increase the burden on companies in order to create leeway for the European Union. That is not acceptable,” he says.
Merz also reveals that the question of deliveries to Ukraine would be “not a matter of hours, but perhaps a question of days or weeks” as details on supplying and transporting these systems are still being worked out.
He declines to say what other countries are involved in the scheme.
Starmer reminds that Russia is now facing the 50-day countdown as part of Trump’s demand to end the war, and says this “has to be coupled with economic pressure.”
“President Zelensky has shown, months ago now, his willingness to come to the table in pursuit of lasting peace. It’s now for Putin to come to the table,” he adds.
Starmer, Merz hail importance of Ukraine deliveries deal with Trump
British prime minister Keir Starmer and German chancellor Friedrich Merz are now speaking to the press after today’s bilateral talks in London and signing a new cooperation treaty between the two countries.
You can follow the conference live including domestic UK lines and on joint efforts to tackle irregular migration on our UK live blog here:
But from the European perspective, it’s worth noting Merz’s comments on Ukraine and Donald Trump.
The German chancellor praised Trump’s “very important initiative” to send Patriot systems to Ukraine, and he said “we have to discuss the details with our partners are quickly as possible” to move and put further pressure on Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But he also added that European countries “need to have clarity as to how the US will replace the weapon systems that the Europeans will transfer to Ukraine.”
He stressed:
“Europe and the United States, that is clear, are pulling in the same direction here.”
In his comments, Starmer said it “shows the strength of Germany, France, and the UK working so closely with other allies in Europe, but also working with the US” that Trump moved to a position where “he has made it absolutely clear that he wants Putin to move.”
Merz separately said that Ukraine will be “much better positioned” to continue to fight Russia’s aggression as a result of the new deliveries.
Farmers, environment emerge as losers from new EU budget
in Brussels
The dust is settling on the proposed EU mega budget, outlined by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday. And the big losers seem to be Europe’s farmers and European nature.
Under the plans, European farmers would see agricultural payments cut to €295bn over the 2028-24 cycle, compared with €387bn in the current budget.
Green MEPs and campaigners have criticised the decision to scrap a dedicated Nature fund. The LIFE programme, worth €5.4bn over seven years, helps protect the EU’s 27,000 official nature conservation sites. The commission believes it actually spends €20bn a year on nature when other programmes are taken into account, such as rural development funds.
Now all EU funds for climate and environment will be swept up into a European Competitiveness Fund.
That has sparked concerns that nature will lose out in the contest to decarbonise European industry.
EU officials say that 35% of the proposed €2tn budget, around €700bn, will support climate and environmental policies. And that national governments will be required to fund nature conservation in their EU spending plans.
For comparison, the EU aims to spend 30% of the current budget on climate and 10% on nature. The budget is known in EU jargon as the multiannual financial framework.
In a striking example of EU mathematics, an official said the 35% figure in the new draft budget matches 40% in the existing one, because some spending on nature is also good for the climate.
The official said:
“If you look indeed at the synergies and the overlaps which we actually have today you realise that about half of the spending which goes today [as] diversity actually also counts towards the climate target…
So 35% in the new MFF is really the same as 30 plus 10 in the old.”
The European Environmental Bureau, echoing views of other green NGOs, has described the decision to axe LIFE as a major mistake.
EEB policy director Faustine Bas-Defossez said:
“How can we claim that the next budget is ‘protecting Europe’ when it ignores one of the most urgent threats EU citizens face: the climate, nature, and pollution crises?”
There has been a warmer welcome to multiply by five spending on Europe’s patchy, sometimes disconnected, energy grid infrastructure.
Luke O’Callaghan-White, EU energy transition programme lead at E3G, said the energy programme was essential to“distribute the benefits of abundant renewable energy and support the EU’s climate, security and competitiveness goals”.
EU's von der Leyen calls for new EU taxes on big firms in €2tn budget proposal
in Brussels
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for new EU taxes on large companies, tobacco and electronic waste as part of a proposed €2tn (£1.7tn) budget.
Announcing the planned EU budget for 2028 to 2034, she effectively fired the starting gun on a major and complex political fight to define the EU’s future.
“It is a €2tn budget for a new era ... that confronts Europe’s challenges, that strengthens our independence,” she told reporters at a news conference that had been delayed by several hours after her officials worked into the night haggling over numbers.
She said the proposals would increase EU funds for defence fivefold, triple funds for migration and border management and double the research budget with 35% ringfenced for climate and biodiversity.
There is also a €100bn fund for Ukraine, described by the EU budget commissioner Piotr Serafin as “our most strategic partner”.
Elsewhere, let’s get up on the speed on the next EU budget, announced yesterday.
Let’s start with a general view of what was announced yesterday – we covered large parts of it on the blog – and then the first reactions.
Over to Jennifer Rankin in Brussels.
Separately, the New York Post newspaper has published a long interview with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, in which he says that he talked with US president Donald Trump about a “mega deal” involving battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones and US weapons.
Zelenskyy argued that the US needed to step up its drone readiness learning from Ukraine’s experiences acquired during the fight against the Russian invasion.
“The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,” he said.
“I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say,” he added.
He also said that similar talks about sharing Ukrainian experiences were on-going with some European partners, including Denmark, Norway, and Germany.
And in the last few minutes, Andrii Sybiha has been retained by parliament as Ukraine’s foreign minister.
Speaking at a press conference in Lublin yesterday, he joked that he arrived for the visit as a minister, but by the time he attended the press conference he was only an acting minister.
He’s now back to his properly official title.
Speaking in the Ukrainian parliament before today’s votes, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that the country “needs more of its own strength” with a fast-tracked reform of and investment into Ukrainian defence industry.
“Currently about 40% of all weapons in the hands of our soldiers are made in Ukraine. In six months, it should be no less than 50%,” he said.
He said there would also be a push audit existing procurement contracts and to attract more international cooperation on defence projects including “new agreements with the US”, without offering further detail.
He also said the government will continue to pursue “a fair end to the war and guarantee real security for Ukraine.”
New Ukrainian government approved by parliament - snap analysis
Luke Harding, Artem Mazhulin in Kyiv
The new Ukrainian government led by Yulia Svyrydenko has just been approved by the country’s parliament.
The reshuffle has been heavily trailed and it’s all about a fresh start at a time when, on the international level, things certainly look better for Ukraine than they did back in February, when Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
What is slightly surprising is the nomination of deputy prime minister for Euro-Atlantic integration, Olha Stefanishyna, as the new Ukrainian ambassador to the US.
It seemed pretty clear that Rustem Umerov, the defence minister, was going to get that post.
Opposition MP Oleksii Honachrenko claimed that the decision to appoint Stefanishyna was made at the very last minute, calling the situation “a mess”.
Stefanishyna has had the Euro-Atlantic portfolio for five years, so she is a very competent and experienced person, but it’s worth keeping an eye on what job Umerov will get in the new administration instead.
US tells Switzerland its order of Patriots will be delayed as Ukraine gets priority
Meanwhile, the Swiss defence ministry has just said that it was informed by the US Department of State that its deliveries of Patriot missile systems will be delayed as a result of its decision to reprioritise deliveries to Ukraine.
The Swiss statement says that its five Patriot systems, ordered in 2022, were meant to be delivered between 2027 and 2028, but the US announcement means that they will be “affected by the new prioritisation” and delayed further.
“It is currently unclear how many systems will be affected and whether the delivery of guided missiles will also be affected. No statement can be made at this stage regarding the exact timing and any further implications for Switzerland. Clarifications are ongoing,” the statement added.
Updated
Flemish NGOs hail 'historic' ruling on military exports
Four Flemish civil society groups that brought the case against the regional Flemish government hailed the court’s decision (12:39) as “historic”.
“This historic ruling acknowledges that the Flemish government bears a heavy legal responsibility when it facilitates military shipments to a state committing war crimes and possibly genocide,” said Fien De Meyer of the League for Human Rights. “The court has now said what politicians refuse to admit.”
“The Flemish government must stop looking the other way,” said Willem Staes of 11.11.11. “As long as military equipment flows to Israel, no government or member of parliament should rest easy.
“This ruling must be the starting point of real political accountability,” he added.
European missile group MBDA selling parts for bombs that have killed children in Gaza
On a related topic, the Guardian has published its investigation today that showed that Europe’s largest missiles maker, MBDA, is selling key components for bombs used in multiple airstrikes where research indicates Palestinian children and other civilians were killed.
With concerns mounting about the extent to which European companies may be profiting from the devastation of Gaza, a Guardian investigation with the independent newsrooms Disclose and Follow the Money has examined the supply chain behind the GBU-39 bomb, and the ways in which it has been deployed during the conflict.
You can read the story here:
Belgian court halts military exports to Israel
The regional Flemish government must stop all transit of military equipment to Israel, a Brussels court has ordered, according to local media.
The Flemish news channel VRT NWS said that the case involves a container of tapered rolled bearings for the Israeli defence company Ashot, which was blocked in one of Europe’s largest ports in Antwerp last month.
The government was also told by the court to prevent the transit of any “defence-related products or other equipment intended for military” where there is no guarantee it will be only deployed for civil use, VRT reported.
Belgian news agency Belga earlier reported that it held three pallets of tapered roller bearings manufactured in France by the US company Timken.
It added that “Flemish regulations prohibit the export or transit of goods that could directly support the Israel Defense Forces,” and the cargo was meant to be sent to Ashot Ashkelon, a key supplier of transmission systems for Israel’s Merkava tanks and Namer armoured vehicles, both actively used in Gaza.
Updated
Question mark over Tomorrowland festival's programme after main stage fire
In other news making the headlines in Europe today, the main stage of the Tomorrowland music festival near Antwerp was totally destroyed by fire on Wednesday, a day before thousands of electronic dance music lovers were due to arrive at the Belgian event.
There were no injuries, organisers said, as they insisted they would still go ahead with the festival over the next two weekends.
But Belgian Le Soir is reporting today that the situation is no longer clear amid continuing discussions with emergency services as to what extent the festival can restart its operations, potentialy in a limited format.
The campsite has opened this morning with first guests arriving, but no final decision on the festival’s weekend programme has been made, it added.
The paper reported that “while the organisers ‘do not lose hope,’ they emphasise that the final decision will rest with the fire department.”
The latest statement from the organisers, on Tomorrowland’s website, said:
“We spent the night working on possible solutions for the Mainstage area. No other parts of the festival venue, stages or areas were impacted.
All detailed info about the festival weekend (Friday – Saturday – Sunday) will follow in the upcoming hours.”
For what it’s worth, the local authorities said they didn’t want to cancel the festival altogether, Le Soir reported.
Updated
Russia 'continuing to analyse' Trump's threat of secondary tariffs
Meanwhile, we are now getting Russia’s reactions to the latest comments by US president Donald Trump, who threatened Russia with secondary tariffs if its invasion on Ukraine isn’t stopped within 50 days.
The Kremlin said Russia was continuing to analyse his remarks, Reuters reported, with no public response from president Vladimir Putin.
The agency noted that Moscow has so far reacted icily to Trump’s recent warnings over Ukraine, saying that decisions taken by the US president and the Nato military alliance would be interpreted by Kyiv as a signal to continue the war.
Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed as new Ukrainian prime minister
Yulia Svyrydenko, 39-year-old economist and former deputy prime minister, has been confirmed the the country’s parliament as the new prime minister of Ukraine, lawmakers Oleksiy Honcharenko and Yaroslav Zheleznyak just reported.
Svyrydenko played a critical role in Kyiv’s negotiations with the US over its access to mineral resources, with Reuters noting that “her nomination sends a signal to Washington that Kyiv is prioritising the relationship.”
She replaces Denys Shmyhal, who served in the post for five years, the longest in Ukraine’s history.
The outgoing prime minister will now become the country’s defence minister, replacing Rustem Umerov, who is rumoured to become the country’s new ambassador to the US.
More personal changes are expected to follow, with defence and digital seen as main priorities for the new administration.
We are just hearing from Reuters that Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more bodies of their war dead, a Kremlin aide said, as part of an agreement struck at June talks in Istanbul.
Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation at those peace talks, said in a statement on Telegram that Moscow had handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and had received 19 bodies of its own fallen soldiers in return.
Starmer hosts Germany's Merz for post-Brexit bilateral treaty signing
Aletha Adu in London and Deborah Cole in Berlin
Keir Starmer will welcome Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to Downing Street on Thursday to sign a new bilateral treaty that promises tighter action on smuggling gangs, expanded defence exports and closer industrial ties between the UK and Germany.
The treaty includes a German commitment to make it illegal to facilitate unauthorised migration to the UK, closing off a key supply route used by smugglers operating from German territory.
UK officials say the new law, expected to be passed by the end of the year, will give police and prosecutors the tools to target warehouses and logistical hubs used to store small boats and engines linked to Channel crossings.
Police will be able to raid warehouses, seize assets and arrest facilitators even where no migrants are present, a move the UK government says will significantly disrupt the supply chain behind dangerous Channel crossings.
This is a relatively late first visit for a German chancellor to the UK. Merz took office in May but officials on both sides say the delay was deliberate.
In his first week, Merz travelled to Kyiv with Starmer, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, in a show of European unity. London and Berlin agreed Merz’s visit should coincide with the signing of the treaty.
It is expected to be focused on mutual security, including cyber and hybrid attacks, stating that “there is no strategic threat to one which would not be a strategic threat to the other”.
A senior German official stressed the treaty is not intended to “replace” Nato guarantees or interfere with a future UK-EU security arrangement, but added that Brexit had left “gaps” in coordination that needed to be filled.
Elsewhere, we will be monitoring the visit of the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to London, where he will sign a treaty between Germany and the UK.
The bilateral friendship and cooperation treaty marks the latest phase of Starmer’s bid to rebuild Britain’s influence in Europe – without reopening formal ties with the EU – but also a diplomatic win for Merz’s new administration in Germany.
So let’s cross to Aletha Adu in London and Deborah Cole in Berlin for more details on the deal.
Preparations for deliveries for Ukraine under way, Nato's top Europe commander says, as he warns Russia is and will remain threat
Preparations are fully under way for delivery of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, Nato’s most senior commander in Europe confirmed, as he warned that Russia is and will remain a threat to the alliance in Europe even if a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine is found.
Nato’s Supreme Allied Commande Europe, Gen Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed this morning that the guidance he has been given was to deliver the Patriots to Ukraine as quickly as possible, making good on US president Trump’s announcement earlier this week.
“I’m not going to reveal to the Russians or anyone else the exact numbers of weapons that we’re transferring or when those will happen, but what I will say is that preparations are under way.
We’re working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer, and the guidance that I’ve been given has been to move out as quickly as possible.
So we’re doing that. And then we’re also looking at other capabilities and what those needs are, and working on proposals for our political leadership.”
He added:
We’re going to move as quickly as we can on this.
He said that Patriot systems already in Europe can be quickly moved to Ukraine, and later backfilled from the production line in the US.
“Air defence is important on the modern battlefield, and we’ve seen the scale of recent Russian attacks against Ukraine, so it is a key focus area,” he said.
Grynkewich, a former fighter pilot who took the most senior allied post in Europe post earlier this month, also warned that even if there is a peaceful solution in Ukraine, Russia will remain a threat.
“War persists on our doorstep in Ukraine.
While we seek a peaceful resolution, even if that resolution comes, the Russian capabilities that are there will reconstitute and just by their very existence will be something that we’ll have to think of from the military perspective, and understand how it threatens the Alliance and the freedoms that we hold dear.
Russia will undoubtedly, in my mind, remain an enduring threat.”
Grynkewich also stressed the urgency of Nato stepping up more broadly, as he warned about the prospect of multiple conflicts happening at the same time, including a war in Europe and a war in the Pacific.
“Those of you who listen to our great secretary general, Mark Rutte, have heard him say that the thing [China’s] Xi is probably going to do before he decides to go across the Taiwan Strait is give his friend Putin a call and ask him to help.
That, to me, means that both of these things could happen together, but we’re going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to meet that.
And we’ve all heard the year 2027, that’s just two years away, when we think that Xi could be ready to make his move, and that phone call to Putin might come.
So time is of the essence.”
I will bring you all key updates from across Europe today.
It’s Thursday, 17 July 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Updated
