Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti was clear about the costs of the war in Ukraine:"A lot of money is needed, and essentially Europe has to provide it, I think I understand this." The League representative made this statement from Washington, responding to journalists who were asking what had emerged from the G7 on Ukraine. Giorgetti arrived in the US capital today to participate in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The G7 and G20 meetings will also be held on the sidelines of the meetings. The minister is currently participating in a G7 meeting organized to discuss the latest developments on Ukraine, Russia, and China.
Already yesterday, at the meeting in Brussels with NATO defense ministers, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had been clear, calling out the"parasites," those countries that aren't doing enough for Kiev: "Allies often say that Ukraine's security is synonymous with European security. Well, the time has come for all NATO countries to translate their words into concrete action in the form of investments: all the countries sitting at this table, not the freeloaders."
German pressure on frozen Russian assets and the hybrid threat: criticism of the AfD – The goal is to offer Ukraine €140 billion in loans. To this end, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will pressure the European Union to approve the use of frozen Russian assets."These additional funds will be used exclusively to finance military equipment," Merz declared in the Bundestag."Disbursed in installments, they would guarantee Ukraine's military resilience for years to come," he added.
Merz also announced national measures against Russia's hybrid threat,"including sabotage, cyber attacks, targeted disinformation, and espionage." The chancellor criticized the AfD for being too close to Putin."We will not allow our free society to be rendered insecure by a hybrid war," Merz said."We will defend ourselves now and in the future. The National Security Council we founded will work on a comprehensive action plan at its first meeting." He then indicated new EU sanctions to push Russia to negotiate a truce.
Merz wants to accelerate the progress of European defense:"We can join forces and put an end to the fragmented defense system," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in his speech to the Bundestag. Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr is on its way to becoming"the strongest conventional army in Europe, as befits a country of our size and our responsibilities."
Trump-Zelensky meeting tomorrow – According to Kiev media, in 24 hours in Washington, the Ukrainian president will also meet with representatives of major US defense and energy companies, behind closed doors. The companies could be included in the potential Mega Deal, a package of contracts for the supply of air defense systems, high-precision artillery, and ATACMs missiles. Zelensky will also meet with influential members of Congress in the defense field. Among the issues at the center of the confrontation with Donald Trump is the delivery of American long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kiev. Russia has already raised the risk of escalating the conflict and reiterated it today with the Kremlin spokesman: long-range missiles would be"a new level of escalation," declared Dmitry Peskov, but"our military knows what to do; they have the military potential and all the necessary capabilities. We will do everything possible to ensure the security of our country."
The NATO meeting – The Alliance summit, held yesterday in Brussels, confirmed the line taken up to now: military support for Ukraine and European resilience, to increase deterrence against Russia and push Putin to negotiate a truce. Therefore, accelerate the target of 5 percent of GDP earmarked for military spending, as requested by Donald Trump and the Atlantic Alliance.
Hegseth praised Germany and Poland"for their efforts to fulfill their commitment," "but also the Baltic and Nordic countries, who have done the same." Germany is also on the path to rearmament, with the intention of taking the lead in a European air defense shield. Furthermore, Berlin has also announced that German fighter jets will be stationed in Poland to protect NATO's eastern flank, under Operation Eastern Sentinel.
The Drone Wall – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stressed the urgency of focusing on drone technology, unmanned aerial vehicles, following the incursions into Eastern countries attributed to Russia by European authorities. Europe is also on the same wavelength with the"drone wall" project announced by Ursula von der Leyen: today the European Commission is expected to announce the roadmap for the €800 billion "Readiness 2030" plan, ahead of the leaders' discussion at next week's EU summit. Protection from drones will not only concern the Eastern flank but also the South, as requested by Italy.
