German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Ukraine to continue moving forward with reforms to ensure its successful integration into the European Union. Source: Merz at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on Thursday 10 July,

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday urged Slovakia to drop its veto on the European Union's new sanctions package against Russia. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Merz emphasized that all countries should increase pressure on Moscow to compel Russian leadership to return to the negotiating table and end the war in Ukraine.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says Russia could pose a security threat to the European Union by the end of the decade and that defense industries in Europe and Ukraine must be ramped up.

Arla and DMK will continue to operate independently until after the merger is formally completed. The dairy co-ops have a combined revenue of nearly €19bn and produce 19 billion kg of milk per year. Some 12,200 dairies will be united under a single organization if the merger succeeds.

Europe recently downgraded the protected status of wolves, sparking concern among conservationists who warn this may undo decades of progress and lead to the species becoming threatened again.

German finance minister Lars Klingbeil has warned that the EU stands ready to impose retaliatory measures against US goods if the two parties fail to reach a “fair” deal to resolve their trade dispute. Klingbeil told German MPs on Tuesday: