Merkel calls for more EU diplomacy on Ukraine; Germany to deploy air defense to Turkey

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated on Monday that Europe must make greater diplomatic efforts to end the war that broke out following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Merkel said she regretted that Europe had not "used its diplomatic capabilities sufficiently" and that dialogue with Moscow should not be limited to US President Donald Trump, according to "Agence France-Presse".

The former German official, in statements to "WDR" channel during the "Re:Publica" conference in Berlin, considered it "truly right" to provide Ukraine with military support, noting that "diplomacy has always been the other side of the coin, even during the Cold War." She believed that "what is important is military deterrence, supplemented by diplomatic action."

Merkel pointed out that it was "not enough" in her view for Trump alone to communicate with Russia, emphasizing "We are also a party, as Europeans."

She stressed that "it is wrong to underestimate (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. It is also wrong not to have confidence."

Angela Merkel, who served as German Chancellor between 2005 and 2021, was criticized for adopting a policy considered too lenient with Russia, and for making Germany rely on cheap Russian energy sales for many years.

The German Ministry of Defense announced today (Monday) that the army will support Turkish air defense capabilities within the framework of "NATO" by deploying an air defense unit in Turkey starting at the end of next month.

The statement added that the deployment of German armed forces, currently scheduled until September 2026, includes one "Patriot" battery and about 150 German soldiers, who are scheduled to replace an American unit.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: "Germany is taking on more responsibility within (NATO)." He added: "The fact that our soldiers are coordinating very closely with our Turkish and American partners demonstrates the reliability of our cooperation with our allies."

Prosecutors told a British court on Monday that a group of Romanian men, acting as agents for the Iranian government, carried out a knife attack on a journalist working for a Persian-language media outlet in London, according to "Reuters" news agency.

Boria Zaratefoulakolai, known as Boria Zarati, a British journalist of Iranian origin working for "Iran International" channel, was stabbed three times in the leg during an attack near his home in Wimbledon, southwest London, in March 2024.

At the beginning of the trial of two of the three defendants accused of carrying out the stabbing, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said they targeted Zarati, who works for a television channel critical of the Iranian government.

Atkinson told the "Woolwich Crown Court" in London that they "committed a planned attack preceded by reconnaissance, and it was ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state." Iran denied any involvement in the incident.

Both Nandito Padia (21) and George Stana (25) deny the charges of intentional harm and unlawful harm, while the third defendant, David Andre, was arrested in Romania but is not facing trial. The trial is expected to last more than two weeks.