Overview

• In a joint statement in Toulon, Germany and France said Russia shows no intention of ending its war against Ukraine.
• Merz noted the Kremlin did not deliver a Putin–Zelensky meeting within the two weeks discussed by Trump and Putin, and Macron said Putin was defying the U.S. president.
• Paris and Berlin intend to push the Oval Office to increase pressure on Moscow, with options such as additional sanctions and a renewed call for direct talks.
• German officials assess that Trump's public positions echo his latest interlocutor, and analyst Nico Lange urged Europe to bolster Ukraine directly, including with longer‑range weapons.
• Alongside the outreach to Washington, Merz and Macron advanced plans to build EU clout with tighter defense cooperation, affirmed EU authority over digital regulation despite U.S. tariff threats, and struck a nuclear–hydrogen compromise.