European G7 countries and the US are prepared to license Ukraine-based companies to build long-range missiles and air defence systems that are only made elsewhere and supplied to the Ukrainian military from dwindling stocks. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said: “We are all currently producing too little, and this can be offset by granting licences to companies that have these production capabilities, including European and Ukrainian firms.”
An overnight G7 statement pledged to “increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities” to Kyiv, and to consider licences to boost Ukraine’s domestic military production. US companies in particular would be able to grant licences for this purpose to European manufacturers, Merz said, adding he was “grateful” to Donald Trump “for this great willingness to cooperate”. A diplomatic source said: “We are going to produce under licence not only air defence systems, but also deep-strike capabilities.” Ukraine has its own extensive anti-drone capabilities but has been facing dire shortages of the interceptor missiles needed to stop cruise and ballistic missiles.
G7 leaders on Wednesday hailed a newly found unity on increasing the pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, sensing a shift by Donald Trump. “It was tough work but worth it,” said the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, describing as a “success” the leaders’ agreed final statement involving key geopolitical issues including Ukraine and Russia. At last year’s G7, Trump walked out early and no statement was issued.
Patrick Wintour writes that Emmanuel Macron, the French president, hailed a “very deep change in the US approach”. “President Trump, like all of us, simply acknowledged that there was no serious willingness on Russia’s part today to discuss peace,” he said. Macron repeatedly emphasised a “shared commitment to making progress on this issue”, which he described as “a very profound shift and remobilisation of the G7”. Trump in his final news conference hailed his talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Evian and a recent phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. “They both want to do something, they just don’t know how to do it,” said Trump, who referred to Russia as the “offensive” party in the war and said they were losing the most troops.
A pioneering programme launched in May demonstrates how Taiwan’s civil defence movement is drawing lessons from Ukraine, Yu-chen Li writes from Taipei. The course in how to fly drones has emerged as part of a broader effort to improve drone literacy among the public in Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that faces a growing military threat from China.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to join EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Thursday. An EU official has revealed preliminary diplomatic contacts between the office of the EU chief, António Costa, and the Kremlin. Costa meanwhile “has been coordinating closely with European leaders on possible engagement with Russia and the issues to be discussed when the right moment comes … The EU is not a mediator. It supports Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, called for a single European Union envoy from a “medium-sized power” to handle contacts with Russia over Ukraine. Meloni said that a proliferation of diplomatic groups within Europe risked creating confusion. “It would be very difficult to put forward someone from one of the largest European countries,” she said, adding:
Ukraine is seeking an additional $20bn in military funding from its allies, said the defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. A Ukrainian defence source has told Reuters that Ukraine will make the request on Thursday at a meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group, an alliance of more than 50 countries also known as the Ramstein group.
The EU plans to allow Ukrainian refugees to stay in the bloc for another year but likely exceptions could include men of military age, Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, said. It was not immediately clear if any such limitation would apply only to new arrivals or also to men already living in the EU.
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren on Wednesday – an allegation that Ukraine’s military said was false. Russia’s foreign ministry said a woman accompanying the children had been killed and eight others including six children had been injured. The Ukrainian military’s general staff said: “During the specified period, the defence forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk oblast.” Reuters was unable to verify the report. Both sides in the war deny targeting civilians.
Hungary is investigating its tax authority, counter-terrorism forces and other agencies over the seizure of a routine Ukrainian bank cash transport under the previous, Russia-friendly government of Viktor Orbán. Hungary quickly returned the $82m in cash and gold to Ukraine after Orban lost national elections to Péter Magyar.