Events

German Chancellor: Any collapse in Iran will threaten Europe's energy security and lead to uncontrolled waves of migration.

The Telegraph has been acquired by the German publisher Axel Springer for £575m

Merz to Trump: We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away. We will be talking about the day after

The German Embassy in Baghdad announces the temporary closure of its consular and visa section. The visa section remains closed, pick-up of documents and passports is not possible, and appointments will be rescheduled

Joint declaration of President Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz on French-German cooperation

Joint statement from Berlin, Paris, and London: We are prepared to take defensive steps to destroy Iranian military capabilities.

France, Germany, and Britain: We call for a resumption of negotiations and a negotiated solution.

Merz says he wants to continue successful cooperation with China, for that we need orderly market access, fair competition

German Navy frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen (F223) has just appeared on AIS in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Baden-Württemberg-class (F125) frigate is currently operating off the coast of Lebanon/Cyprus, according to MarineTraffic data

USAF United States Air Force - Middle East Activity (Coronet): 17 February - 1129z. There are currently 36x F-16s and 12x F-22s on the move, or about to depart towards the Middle East. 12x F-16s each from Aviano and Spangdahlem in Europe, and 12x from McEntire Joint National Guard Base. F-22 Raptors as TREND 51 flight have departed Langley Air Force Base with ROMA tankers on Coronet East 033

German Chancellor: I have begun talks with the French President regarding European nuclear deterrence.

The German Chancellor: We are working on setting our agenda, focusing on ourselves, and turning pressures into positive outcomes.

German Chancellor Merz: China wants to be a leader in shaping the world, and it has paved the ground for that over many years, with strategic patience. In the foreseeable future, Beijing could be on an equal footing with the United States in military terms. China systematically uses the dependencies of others, and it redefines the international order in its own favor

German Chancellor Merz: If there had been a unipolar moment after the fall of the Berlin Wall — a unipolar moment in history — it has long passed. The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged and possibly lost

German Chancellor Merz: Europe just returned from a vacation from world history. Together, we’ve entered an era that once again is marked by power and big power politics

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized the joint efforts of Europeans regarding their defense capabilities. An important step in this direction is the joint, interoperable project European Long-Range Strike Approach, or ELSA for short.

NATO official confirms that allies are looking to swap control of certain NATO military leadership centers, such as the NATO’s Joint Command Center in Norfolk, the Joint Command Center in Naples, and the Allied Maritime Command in the UK. "Allies have agreed on a new distribution of senior officer responsibility across the NATO Command Structure in which European Allies, including NATO’s newest members, will play a more prominent role in the Alliance’s military leadership. We will provide more details in due course. The decision relates to planning for future rotations," the official said. "This is a common sense move, with Europe moving to the fore and America absolutely committed to NATO," added the official.Politico first reported the proposed changes ahead of the Munich Security Conference later this week in Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the transatlantic relationship has changed, adding that no one regrets it more than he does, and that Europe must achieve greater technological independence from the United States

Germany's Merz says Iranian government's 'days are numbered'

Deutsche Bank raided by German police in money laundering probe

Germany strongly condemns DPRK’s ballistic missile launches of 27 January. They put regional security & stability at risk & exacerbate international tensions. We urge DPRK to stop the unlawful development, test & transfer of ballistic missiles, as requested by UNSC multiple times

Britannian hallituksen julkaiseman yhteisen lausunnon mukaan 14 Euroopan maata on ilmoittanut sulkevansa Itämeren Venäjän niin kutsutulta varjolaivastolta. Maat varoittivat, että alkuperäänsä salaavia tankkereita, kuten lippujen vaihtamista, transponderien kytkemistä pois päältä tai ilman asianmukaisia asiakirjoja toimimista, kohdellaan kansallisuudettomina aluksina. Tällaiset alukset voidaan pysäyttää ilman oikeudellista riskiä. Venäjää syytettiin myös satelliittinavigointijärjestelmien tahallisesta häirinnästä, vakavan uhan aiheuttamisesta meriturvallisuudelle ja pelastustoimien vaikeuttamisesta onnettomuustilanteissa. Lausunnon allekirjoittivat Belgia, Tanska, Viro, Suomi, Ranska, Saksa, Islanti, Latvia, Liettua, Alankomaat, Norja, Puola, Ruotsi ja Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta.

Saksan ulkoministeriö: Emme hyväksy vakoilua Saksassa – etenkään diplomaattisen aseman varjolla. Kutsuimme tänään Venäjän suurlähettilään liittovaltion ulkoministeriöön ja ilmoitimme hänelle, että Venäjän puolesta vakoillut henkilö karkotetaan maasta.

Merz: We will protect Denmark and Greenland from the threat posed by Russia. We will uphold the principle of terrotorial integrity and sovereignty

Chancellor Merz: In recent days the U.S. demanded greater influence in Greenland. We welcome that the U.S. is taking the threat posed by Russia in the arctic seriously. We experience it daily. As NATO allies we must do more

On Tuesday, right next to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, farmers protested against the soon-to-be-entered EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

Germany’s finance minister is throwing his weight behind France on the need for a tough counterstrike against President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to press for U.S. control of Greenland

The German military is pulling its reconnaissance team out of Greenland. Fifteen soldiers are reportedly leaving the Arctic island on a civilian flight to Copenhagen

Trump: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question. Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America. On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%.

The German government spokesperson stated that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will discuss several issues with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Berlin next Tuesday, including the return of Syrian refugees to their country.