Overview

• Merz made the two‑week expectation public after Ukraine discussions in Washington involving U.S., European and NATO leaders.
• Following an Oval Office meeting, reporting says President Trump agreed to take part in undefined “security guarantees” for Ukraine, and the encounter did not produce public pressure for territorial concessions.
• The summit produced few concrete commitments, with details of any security assurances still unspecified.
• An analysis cited by German media estimates Russia spent more than two trillion rubles in the first half of 2025 to fund recruitment and compensation for war personnel.
• Reporting describes Russian force generation relying on contract enlistment, financial incentives and coercive practices to avoid a new mass mobilization.