Europe and Russia are “no longer at peace” and Vladimir Putin is waging a war against the continent’s freedom, according to German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Clarifying that most of Europe is “not at war”, Mr Merz said Moscow’s assault on Ukraine was “a war against our democracy”.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is considering Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles in an effort to push back against Russia, US vice president JD Vance has said.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asked the US to sell Tomahawks to European nations that would send them to Ukraine, Vance said on Fox News on Sunday, adding that Trump would make the “final decision” on the deal.
Trump has long denied Ukraine’s requests for the use of long-range missiles in the past, but has recently grown frustrated with Vladimir Putin’s refusal to reach a peace deal.
The move comes at a time where more Nato nations are raising the alarm over violations in their airspace from Russia, with Denmark ordering a ban on civil drone flights ahead of two European summits this week after unexplained drones were spotted near military sites over the weekend.
Zelensky offers Europe support to counter drone incursions
Ukraine’s president has offered to help European countries after several nations saw a wave of drone incursions last month.
Poland, Romania and Denmark saw drones breaching the international borders, forcing the closure of airports, exposing the gaps in Nato’s ability to respond in a timely manner.
Offering support, Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was offering “to Poland and all our partners to build a joint, truly reliable shield against Russian aerial threats”.
He said his country’s military “can counter all types of Russian drones and missiles”, adding that “if Russia loses the ability to strike in the skies, it will be unable to continue the war”.
Russia’s war on Ukraine is war against freedom, says German chancellor
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Russia’s war on Ukraine is a war against Europe’s freedom.
In comments during a media event in Duesseldorf, he said that while Europe “is not at war”, it is also “no longer at peace” with Russia.
Elaborating, the German chancellor said, Moscow’s war is “a war against our democracy and a war against our freedom.”He added that Moscow’s intention was to undermine unity in the bloc.
Who’s arming the Ukraine-Russia war?
President Trump has previously denied Ukraine’s requests for the use of long-range missiles in the past, but as he grows more frustrated with Moscow, he appears to be more accepting of Zelensky’s requests.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what weapons the US and other countries have been sending to Ukraine and Russia as the war show no signs of ending soon.
Watch: Destruction in Kyiv after deadly Russian attack
Moldova’s pro-EU party wins clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups
Moldovans gave the country’s pro-Western governing party a clear parliamentary majority in a weekend election, defeating pro-Russian groups in a vote widely viewed as a stark choice between East and West.
European leaders on Monday hailed Moldovans for re-affirming their commitment to a Western path and future membership in the European Union in the face of alleged Russian interference. The country is small in size and population but with outsized geopolitical importance.
“You made your choice clear: Europe. Democracy. Freedom,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X.
“No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve.”
Landlocked between war-torn Ukraine and EU and Nato member Romania, Moldova was a Soviet republic until it proclaimed independence in 1991.
In recent years it has taken a clear Westward path, turning the country into a geopolitical battleground between Russia and Europe.
The outcome of Sunday’s high-stakes ballot was noteworthy considering Moldovan authorities’ repeated claims that Russia was conducting a vast “hybrid war” to try to sway the outcome.
Moldova applied to join the EU in 2022 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and was granted candidate status that year. Brussels agreed to open accession negotiations last year.
Fighter jets waving at Nato and Alaska incursions: Every time Russia has tested the airspace of Ukraine’s allies
Recap: Kremlin warns Tomahawks will not be a game-changer in the war
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said any use of Tomahawks would not be a game-changer in the war, as the US is considering selling the long-range missile to Europe, to pass on to Ukraine.
“Even if this happens, there’s no panacea that can change the situation on the front for the Kyiv regime right now… And whether it’s Tomahawks or other missiles, they won’t be able to change the dynamic,” Peskov said, referring to the slow but steady gains Russian forces are making in eastern Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Europe “simply cannot afford a war with Russia” but that “the possibility of a fatal accident always exists”.
