Germany plans to nearly triple its regular defense budget to around $175 billion per year by 2029, and much of that money will go into reinventing the nature of warfare.

In very concrete terms, Germany is demonstrating leadership of Europe and the larger Atlantic area alliance in creating the path to greater defense spending.

Germany defeated France in the last European Championship at the semi-final stage, the only time Les Bleus have made it that far. Since that 2022 matchup, France have gone out in the quarter-finals at the last two major tournaments (2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics).

Radical protests in Berlin and Düsseldorf saw hundreds of people showing support for Syria's Islamist regime, glorifying violence, and clashing with Kurdish demonstrators. View on euronews

Germany needs firm US assurances that it will quickly receive replacement Patriot anti-missile systems if it sends two of its own units to Ukraine, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday.But concern has grown as Washington wants European allies to first send Patriot systems from their own stocks to Ukraine and then wait for replacements from the United States.

Germany and France are pushing the European Union to prepare retaliatory tariffs against the United States unless the White House agrees to drop a fresh round of trade penalties by August 1, according to the Financial Times.

Europe's largest software manufacturer, Germany's SAP, said on Wednesday it intends to continue saving on personnel. Instead of large-scale cuts like last year, the DAX heavyweight plans to proceed more continuously in the future,

"The restrictions on the independence of the Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities hampers Ukraine's path to the EU," Wadephul said. "I expect Ukraine to continue its fight against corruption consistently.