Overview
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called to refound transatlantic ties and confirmed initial talks with Emmanuel Macron on closer European cooperation for nuclear deterrence while reaffirming Germany will not pursue its own nuclear weapons.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a warmer tone but criticized European migration, climate and trade approaches and said Washington could act alone, offering partnership largely on Trump-era terms.
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius voiced skepticism about a new European nuclear shield and warned that moves like the Greenland episode and U.S.–Russia talks without EU partners have harmed the alliance.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed for faster air‑defense deliveries and a quicker EU path as several participants noted Ukraine received less focus in Rubio’s remarks than expected.
- Germany and several European partners reported lab findings indicating Alexei Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine in Russian custody, intensifying pressure on Moscow alongside Europe’s push to build strategic leverage.