In the latest update, the White House has said a few minutes ago that the call between the two leaders was “still in progress”. Berlin correspondent After announcing the legislation had passed, the smiling, outgoing Bundestag president Bärbel Bas declared the more than six hour session, as well as the entire 20th Bundestag, closed. She thanked the workers who were due to come in as soon as the chamber was cleared, to start adjusting the seating for the new, slimmed down (by around 100 seats) 21st parliament, which would involve overtime and weekend working, she said. She also thanked the stenographers and other staff, as well as visitors to the Bundestag who had followed the debate, as well as those who had watched on television. The new parliament, she said, will meet in a week’s time on 25 March at 11am. Before leaving the chamber, many MPs, a lot of whom it was their last time in parliament, lingered to chat and take selfies on mobile phones. Hanna Steinmüller of the Greens could be spotted on the floor still bouncing her delightful three-month-old son on her hip, attracting the smiles of many colleagues. And here’s a quick take from Robin Winkler, the chief German economist at Deutsche Bank Research, on today’s vote in the Bundestag: After much nail-biting over the last fortnight, Germany’s outgoing parliament today decided to reform the constitutional debt brake. In our view, this is a historic fiscal regime shift, arguably the largest since German reunification. Yet, as with reunification, a fiscal expansion does not guarantee success: the next government will need to deliver structural reforms to turn this fiscal package into sustainable growth. The Bundesrat vote on the German reform is expected on Friday. Berlin correspondent Outgoing Bundestag President, Bärbel Bas, told MPs: “The bill has been adopted with the required majority”. According to the vote passed, the Basic Law will in future include the stipulations that defence spending, civil defence, intelligence services and cybersecurity will be exempt from the debt rule, if they exceed one per cent of normal GDP. The individual 16 states are also to be granted borrowing leeway in the future planning of their budgets. According to this, borrowing for the states as a whole will be limited to 0.35 percent of nominal GDP. Arguably most importantly, a €500bn “special fund” will be established for additional investments in infrastructure (such as rail, bridges, and roads), to be funded via loans. But the funds can also be used “for additional investments to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.” Now we await the next hurdle: the vote in the Bundesrat, the upper house, where the legislation also requires a two-thirds majority, which it is expected to get. Quick with its headlines, Bild has written: “Das Geld ist da”: the money is here. White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted a social media update on the call, confirming it’s under way: Happening Now—President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00am EDT. The call is going well, and still in progress. Worth noting that 10am EDT is 2pm GMT or 3pm CET – meaning the call had been going on for almost an hour at the time Scavino posted his updated. The proposed package of spending, debt brake reforms has cleared the Bundestag, with 513 votes in favour, more than the 489 required for two-thirds majority. 207 votes were against. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has been speaking at the Royal Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen in the last few minutes. In a wide-ranging speech on defence, she praised the country’s plans to increase its defence spending, and sought to reassure Denmark that it had the backing of the EU institution in its escalating conflict with US president Donald Trump over Greenland. She said: To all the people of Greenland and of Denmark as a whole: I want to be very clear that Europe will always stand For sovereignty and territorial integrity. And it is against this complex backdrop that I salute the prime minister’s decision to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP in the next two years. Von der Leyen also said that “if Europe wants to avoid war, Europe must get ready to war,” as she repeatedly warned against Russia’s growing imperial ambitions. She said that “the idea of the peace dividend” that Europe focused on over the last 30 years “is long gone,” as “the security architecture that we relied on can no longer be taken for granted.” She accused Moscow of using its defence spending to “fuel its war of aggression in Ukraine, while preparing for future confrontation with European democracies.” “And just as these threats increase, we see our oldest partner, the United States, move their focus to the Indo-Pacific,” she said. “The point is that we must see the world as it is, and we must act immediately to face up to it, because a new international order will be formed,” she said, saying that Europe “is ready to step up.” Alongside praising Denmark, she also specifically referenced her native Germany, saying that is was “deciding today” on “both historic and necessary” moves to rearm. Von der Leyen was Germany’s defence minister between 2013-2019. Meanwhile, Hungarian lawmakers passed a bill aimed at banning Budapest’s annual Pride march, which critics say curtails fundamental rights and continues the crackdown on the EU country’s LGBTQ community, AFP reported. Prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government says it has never supported the parade. In recent years it has been gradually rolling back on LGBTQ rights in the name of “child protection”. The legislation – drafted by Orbán’s governing Fidesz-KDNP coalition – aims to ban the Pride march on the basis that it infringes on Hungary’s much-criticised “child protection” law, making it possible to fine those who attend the event. AFP explained the law stipulates that it is “forbidden to hold an assembly in violation of” a 2021 law that bans the “promotion and display” of homosexuality to minors. The law governing the rights of assembly is also amended, saying that only events “respecting the right of children to proper physical, mental and moral development may take place”. Organisers or participants of a banned event could risk fines of up to 500 euros ($545), with police being allowed to use facial recognition tools to identify potential offenders, AFP noted. The bill – submitted on Monday morning and fast-tracked under an exceptional procedure – passed the 199-seat National Assembly with 136 voting in favour and 27 against. Deputies of the right-wing Jobbik and the far-right Our Homeland party also supported the measure. Opposition politicians from the liberal Momentum disrupted the vote by shouting, lighting flares and playing the old Soviet Union anthem, AFP reported. Reuters added that also scattered in the assembly hall manipulated photos depicting Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin kissing as the voting progressed. Russian affairs reporter Before his high-stakes call, Vladimir Putin appeared determined to exude confidence. He met with top Russian business leaders in Moscow at the time his press secretary had earlier stated the call would begin. When asked if he might be late, he simply laughed and brushed off the question. FT’s Max Seddon posted a clip capturing the moment. If you are wondering what’s the latest on that Putin-Trump call… We have not had a formal confirmation from either side that the call was under way, but we did have a bit of a signal from the Russian side as to how they approach the chat… Ten EU countries have offered their support to the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, affected by US spending cuts by the Trump administration. The US Agency for Global Media stopped grants over the weekend to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which was founded during the cold war and broadcasts to 23 countries, including Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Afghanistan. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire tasked by Donald Trump with slashing the US federal government, called for the media group to be shut down last month, describing it as “just radical left crazy people talking to themselves”. In the last hour, the Czech Europe minister Martin Dvořák posted a joint statement signed by representatives of 10 EU countries – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden – registering their “deep concern” over the broadcaster’s situation. The Czech government has been most vocal on the issue as RFE/RL’s offices are based in Prague. The letter read: We express our deep concern over the financial challenges currently faced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), as reported in recent news. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has played a vital role in providing independent, unbiased, and fact-based information to citizens, particularly in regions where freedom of the press is under threat. Throughout the Cold War, it served as a crucial source of trustworthy news for audiences behind the Iron Curtain, playing a key role in many of our countries’ histories. Today, RFE/RL continues to provide trusted, independent news to tens of millions in regions where free press is restricted or absent. In doing so, it helps to promote democratic values and strengthens our collective response to disinformation and authoritarian propaganda. This vital work builds on its historic role as a force for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression – values at the core of the European Union. By countering foreign malign influence and reinforcing democratic resilience, RFE/RL contributes to safeguarding European security and its elimination would be a gift to Europe’s adversaries. In light of this situation, we declare our readiness to work together to find and secure appropriate financial resources that will allow RFE/RL to continue its important mission. European funding would ensure the stability of this key media institution and enable it to carry on providing critical and independent reporting. We call on the relevant European institutions and member states to join forces in establishing sustainable financial support for RFE/RL and other independent media, thereby safeguarding media freedom and democracy in Europe and beyond. On Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, who was born in the Soviet Union, said Radio Free Europe “has been a beacon of democracy”, alluding to it as a source of information in her younger years. “Now the question for us is, can we come in with our funding to fill the void that the US is leaving? The answer to that question is … not automatically,” she said adding that the EU would “see what we can do”. France will buy more Dassault-made Rafale warplanes than planned, president Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday during a speech held on a military base in the east of the country, Reuters reported. “We are going to increase and accelerate our orders for Rafales,” he said. Later today, Macron will travel to Berlin where he is due to meet with the outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and then eat dinner with the presumed next chancellor, Friedrich Merz. If the Bundestag vote goes the way we expect it to go, they will have plenty to talk about when it comes to defence spending. Unusually, can I also draw your attention to the caption on the photo above: I feel nothing but deep respect for the photographer who thought it was necessary to help us identify which one is Macron (left), and which one is a fighter aircraft (right). Estonia has confirmed its plans to raise defence spending to “at least” 5% of GDP from 2026 in response to increasingly aggressive Russia. The government said in a press release (in Estonian) that it would push for changes to be implemented next year, recording a major jump from 3.43% GDP in the last Nato figures for 2024. “Russia’s strategic goals have not changed in any way. The aggression of its eastern neighbour threatens all countries around it in Europe and Nato included,” the country’s prime minister Kristen Michal was quoted as saying. In a separate social media post, he added the aim was “clear – to make any aggression against us unfeasible.” in Dublin A court case to establish whether Ireland does or does not have a secret agreement with the British government to allow the Royal Air Force enter Irish airspace in the event of a hostile attack, can proceed, Ireland’s court of appeal has ruled. The Irish senator, Gerard Craughwell, who brought the case, has been trying to force the government to reveal whether or not it relies on a foreign nation for air defence for the past three years amid rumours that an ad hoc arrangement was entered into following the 9/11 attack on New York. On Tuesday the court of appeal threw out the Irish government’s appeal aimed at preventing the case going ahead. As we wait for updates from that Trump-Putin call and for the result of the German vote, let’s bring you some updates from elsewhere in Europe. The votes in the German Bundestag are now under way. Given the way it’s organised, it will take a bit (around an hour) for all lawmakers to individually cast their votes, but we will bring you the result as soon as it’s all done. A reminder on what’s at stake: Germany’s next chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to release a €500bn infrastructure fund and relax debt rules – currently protected by the constitution – via the outgoing parliament, where parties in favour of the proposals – his conservatives, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens – appears to have the necessary two-thirds majority. As Reuters noted, should the legislation pass the Bundestag lower house of parliament, it still has to go to the Bundesrat upper house, which represents the governments of Germany’s 16 federal states. The main hurdle to passage there appeared to fall on Monday when the Bavarian Free Voters agreed to back the plans, securing a majority for the proposals. Berlin correspondent The presence of babies is welcome in many situations especially when a distraction or hope for the future is needed (family Christmas gatherings, funerals, to name but two). Add to that crucial Bundestag debates at which Germany’s future is being decided. Hanna Steinmüller, MP for the Greens, has given legislators a delightful diversion from the serious matters at hand, by bringing her baby son into the chamber, and bouncing him on her knee. He was born in December, and it is likely that his own future will be influenced by the historical goings on today. The euro hit its highest levels in more than five months against the dollar on Tuesday, as the German parliament was set to vote on a massive surge in borrowing that could boost growth across the euro area’s largest economy and the wider region, Reuters reported. Germany’s blue-chip share index has hit a new intraday record high, as investors hope that the Bundestag will approve Berlin’s new proposed debt reforms today. The DAX is up 1.26%, at 23,446 points. For more economic reactions, follow our business live blog here: We are now getting a line from Downing Street that UK prime minister Keir Starmer spoke with US president Donald Trump last night, ahead of the Trump-Putin call later today. Starmer’s spokesperson said that “the prime minister updated the President on his ‘Coalition of the Willing’ call with international leaders that took place on Saturday,” and “reiterated that all must work together to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to secure a just and lasting peace.” The pair also discussed the UK business and trade secretary’s visit to Washington and broader trade relations, as well as US strikes against Houthi in Yemen. Russian affairs reporter Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold a high-stakes call on Tuesday afternoon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, amid reports that Russia is demanding a halt to all western arms deliveries to Ukraine as a condition for a truce. Bloomberg reported (£) that Putin was expected to demand a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine – including US and European aid – during a ceasefire proposed by Trump. Europe is likely to be uneasy about agreeing to this condition, as the UK and European Union are ramping up efforts to deliver fresh military aid packages to Kyiv as soon as possible. The Russian leader has also renewed calls for broader negotiations on a long-term settlement to the war. His demands are likely to include the demilitarisation of Ukraine, an end to western military aid and a commitment to keeping Kyiv out of Nato. Before the talk, Trump said Russian and US negotiators had already talked about “dividing up certain assets”. “We’re doing pretty well, I think, with Russia,” Trump said on Sunday, adding that he thought there was a very good chance of reaching a ceasefire. Kyiv will be alarmed by Trump’s hints that the US may put pressure on Ukraine to cede significant territory. “I think we’ll be talking about land, it’s a lot of land,” he said. “It’s a lot different than it was before the war, as you know. We’ll be talking about land,” Trump said when asked about Ukrainian concessions. “We’ll be talking about power plants,” apparently referring to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear site in Europe. Trump’s rhetoric on dividing territory has echoes of the 1945 Yalta conference, where Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt divided Europe between the American-aligned west and the Soviet-controlled east. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quick to dismiss such comparisons on Tuesday, stating that global restructuring and a “new Yalta” were not on the agenda. The US outlet Semafor reported on Monday that the White House was considering officially recognising Crimea – annexed by Moscow in 2014 – as Russian territory as part of a potential peace deal. Washington is also reportedly discussing the possibility of putting pressure on the UN to follow suit. Pope Francis reiterated his appeal for peace and disarmament in a letter written from his hospital room and sent to Luciano Fontana, the editor of the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera. The letter was written on 14 March but made public ahead of the critical call between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump. The pope said that war “only devastates communities and the environment, without offering solutions to conflicts” and that “diplomacy and international organisations are in need of new vitality and credibility”. It was written from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where the pontiff was admitted more than a month ago with pneumonia in both lungs. He stressed the importance of communication in resolving conflict. “We must disarm words, to disarm minds and disarm the Earth”. He added: “There is a great need for reflection, calmness, and an awareness of complexity. Religions, moreover, can draw from the spirituality of peoples to rekindle the desire for fraternity and justice, the hope for peace. All this requires commitment, work, silence, and words.” For weeks, Francis, 88, was in a critical condition but has been steadily improving over the past week, although it is unclear when he’ll be discharged from hospital. Amid speculation that he could soon resign, the Vatican’s secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, said on Monday that the pontiff is “absolutely not” quitting due to his health. Berlin correspondent Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius, who could yet continue in this role in the new government, has staunchly defended Germany’s proposed special fund. Pistorius says Germany is running on the back up battery, and desperately needs investment in everything from its energy supply system, its transport infrastructure, to its hospitals and schools. At the same time the country is “standing before a new epoch,” and facing “one of the greatest if not the greatest security policy challenge in the history of our country”. Those who criticise the fact that the vote is taking place in the outgoing parliament are failing to recognise the urgency of the situation, he says, saying it cannot be postponed. “Anyone who hesitates today, who lacks the courage today, who thinks we can afford this debate for months to come,” is mistaken, he says. With particular emphasis he says Germany is not doubting its alliance with the US but has to take on new responsibilities. “We will not question our relationship with the USA, with our longstanding American allies.” At the same time Germans have to assume a central role in Europe, “and that means more troops, more equipment, faster deployment.” One of Germany’s most popular politicians, Pistorius says it’s time to recognise the scale of the threat facing Germany and Europe, emphasising: “The threat has to take precedence over financial means.” Well, that’s a headline I never quite expected to type. But Reuters is reporting that Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, said that… Russia sees big prospects to work with the United States, including in the space sector, and expects to hold talks with Elon Musk soon about flying to Mars. That goes on the to-do list for the big call between Putin and Trump later today. Berlin correspondent Lars Klingbeil, head of the Social Democrats has told the Bundestag ahead of a vote on constitutional amendments to unlock up to €1 trillion in new spending to boost Germany’s defence and invest in infrastructure that the proposals will lead to a “positive new beginning for Germany... for Europe”. He put Ukraine at the centre of his speech, arguing that Ukrainians have been fighting “heroically” for three years “for all of our freedoms” and stressed: “We are on the side of the Ukrainians”. The country’s situation had become more precarious in recent weeks, he said, due to the increase in Russian brutality and the unpredictability of the US government. This has concentrated minds, regarding the new funding plans. “We need to do our homework in Europe. We need to be stronger. We need to take care of our own security, that is our responsibility,” he says. Germany needs to recognise the need for us to take a leading role in this, “and I believe we should take this role seriously”. The (likely) new government of conservatives and his social democrats, will “do everything we can to ensure peace in Europe,” as well as to advance the economy, encourage social cohesion, to invest massively in infrastructure, in climate measures. All this, he said, was necessary “to ensure a strong Germany, a strong Europe.” Speaking for the Greens, who are expected to back the CDU/CSU and the SPD today after a political deal struck late last week, Britta Haßelmann offered her support for the proposal – even as she sharply criticised Merz’s change of heart on this issue in recent weeks. Rejecting Merz’s comments about the new, challenging global circumstances, he said “the conditions are no different than they were on 1 January or in October last year,” after Trump was elected. She bitterly spoke of sharp criticism faced by Green politicians who pointed out his “populist” rhetoric during the election campaign. “But that doesn’t make [today’s proposal] wrong,” she added, “because reforming the debt brake, investing in infrastructure, and investing in climate neutrality by 2045 are urgently needed.” Haßelmann also agreed that the broader global context, including Trump’s “abandonment” of Europe, required further investment in the German security infrastructure – understood not only as the army, but with other elements, including civil protection and support for attacked countries, like Ukraine. Just like Klingbeil and Merz, she also repeatedly criticised the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, highlighting risks associated with the rising support for radical and extremist parties. Addressing the Bundestag just now, presumed next chancellor Friedrich Merz told lawmakers that the proposed package of reforms was primarily motivated by “Putin’s war of aggression against Europe”. “A war against Europe, and not just a war against the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said. He warned that it is also part of hostile and disruptive activities against Germany, pointing at attacks on critical infrastructure, arson attacks, spying and disinformation campaigns, as well as broader “attempts to divide and marginalise the European Union.” “We will defend ourselves against these attacks on our open society, on our freedom … with everything at our disposal,” he promised. Merz said that Germany had to “rebuild our defence capabilities, in part from scratch,” naming his priorities in procurement, European satellite systems, drones, among others. In a hint of his future policy as a chancellor, he also said that contracts “should go to European manufacturers, whenever possible,” acknowledging it is “a paradigm shift in defence policy.” Merz also said the German move could pave the way to “a new European defence community,” open not only to EU member states, but also other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Norway. In broader comments, he also said that further reforms need to follow proposed changes, calling for “a technological boost,” an overhaul of planning and approval procedures, and “a genuine reduction” in regulations, including from the EU. Speaking before him, the SDP’s co-leader Lars Klingbeil said lawmakers were facing “a historic decision,” that could “give our country’s history a new direction, a positive beginning for Germany, a positive beginning for Europe.” He said that Europe needs to acknowledge it finds itself between “aggressive” and “neo-imperial” Russia and “unpredictable” US, and “must now do our homework.” Berlin correspondent We’ve seen a fiery start to the Bundestag debate ahead of a historic vote to change two articles of the constitution and establish a 500 billion Euro fund for infrastructure, in Germany’s outgoing parliament. An attempt by the far-right AfD, far-left Die Linke, and the left-wing conservative BSW to stop the proposals has failed in the opening few minutes. Bernd Baumann, parliamentary head of the AfD, which last night failed in its attempt to block the debate in the constitutional court and tried again in the Bundestag this morning, said it was an insult to the electorate that the old parliament was being used to push the legislation through. Merz, he said, “endorsed by the Bundestag, which has long been voted out of office” was trying to “take over the chancellorship with the (help of the) SPD and the Greens as if it were a Banana Republic”. Christian Görke of Die Linke accused Friedrich Merz of backtracking on one of his main election promises not to relax the rules of Germany’s constitutionally enshrined debt brake. At the same time he emphasised the need for its reform, as it had caused previous governments to ‘break our country’ by pursuing an obsessive savings policy, rather than investing where necessary. Jessica Tatti of BSW, the breakaway group from Die Linke, referred to the proposals as ‘war credits’ (Kriegskredite) which had to be stopped. She slammed the social democrats in particular, for backing Merz’s deal, quoting from a letter she said a long-term party member announcing his departure from the party had shared with her. “Please spare us the sabre-rattling and the nuclear threat,” the outgoing SPD member wrote. The party should instead “strive for peace and forging a speedy understanding with Russia, with whom we could have a lot of good things in common”. By backing the spending deal which Tatti said will see billions of Euros of investment in German defence spending as well as saddling younger generations with immense debt for years to come, the SPD had renounced its core values of “freedom, justice, solidarity and peace”, Tatti said, quoting from the letter. These voices will set the tone for the debate over the coming hours in what the tabloid Bild, often good at snappily capturing the mood, has succinctly nicknamed ‘Die Schulden-Schlacht’ - the debt battle. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have signalled their intention to withdraw from an international convention that bans antipersonnel land mines due to the growing threat posed by Russia after its invasion on Ukraine. The defence ministers of the four countries said in a joint statement that they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention.” They said: Since the ratification of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), the security situation in our region has fundamentally deteriorated. Military threats to NATO Member States bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased. In light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia’s aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community, it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities. We believe that in the current security environment it is of paramount importance to provide our defence forces with flexibility and freedom of choice of potential use of new weapon systems and solutions to bolster the defence of the Alliance’s vulnerable Eastern Flank. They added: With this decision, we are sending a clear message: our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom. Despite our withdrawal, we will remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during an armed conflict. Our nations will continue to uphold these principles while addressing our security needs. We have just heard from the Kremlin on the exact timing of the Putin-Trump phone call, with officials saying it is scheduled for 1pm to 3pm GMT (2pm to 4pm CET). “There is a large number of issues from the normalisation of our relations and the Ukrainian issue, all of which the two presidents will discuss,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by AFP. Chief reporter While Donald Trump talks of the “big beautiful ocean” separating the US from the war in Ukraine, 1,000 miles of rail track links London St Pancras to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. The 19-hour trip takes in Brussels, the German economic powerhouse of Frankfurt, and Vienna, the Austrian capital, before the train rattles into Kraków in south-east Poland and Przemyśl, the Polish border town where the slimmer railway gauges of western Europe meet the wider tracks of Ukraine and Russia to the east. At each stop, Europeans are grappling in different ways with new and unsettling realities after the US president appeared in recent weeks to herald the end of Pax Americana. - You can read Daniel Boffey’s account of his train trip from London to Lviv, to follow how Trump’s new world order has shaken Europe, here. Chief reporter A former head of US forces in Europe has said that Donald Trump’s peace plan is for Ukraine to “surrender” to Russia. Retired US general Ben Hodges, who was Commanding General of United States Army Europe until 2018, castigated Trump for siding with Russia and cited the humiliation of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House as evidence of his intent. Hodges said: This is anything but a peace plan. It is a surrender. It’s a pressure from the United States for Ukraine to surrender to Russia. The mask came off when we saw this debacle in the Oval Office two weeks ago, and then all the actions that have taken place since. The administration only expects Ukraine to make any say, to give up anything, especially territory, and I don’t understand why the administration thinks this is good for America’s strategic interests. Trump is due to speak to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday over a proposed 30 day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Hodges said there was no indication that the Kremlin would seek any form of peace unless it meant victory in their goal of leaving Ukraine as a broken state. I think that this idea that somehow Russia would live up to any agreement, is nonsense. “There’s no evidence in history that Russia would live up to any agreement where there wasn’t a large force that would compel them to do so. And and then finally, I would say they don’t see any indication of [Russia] actually being interested in a peaceful solution, except where they control everything.” Hodges, who lives in Frankfurt, was speaking to the Guardian’s chief reporter, Daniel Boffey, as he travelled by train from London to Lviv, in western Ukraine, to explore how Europe is adapting to the new political, security and economic realities. Hodges said: “It’s clear that the Trump administration has zero respect for Europe as a whole, or frankly, for most European countries. I mean, they don’t take European interests into consideration. They don’t care, except to demand that Europe buys American goods.” He added: “I would ask, please don’t give up on the United States. I mean, you know, our relationship between the US and many European countries has been lacking over the decades. But you know, eventually we would always kind of get it sorted out. So even as bad as it seems right now, don’t give up on the United States.” Berlin correspondent Germany’s likely next chancellor is to face a key vote on plans to unlock a record level of state borrowing, which he argues is necessary to boost the country’s military spending and inject growth into its ailing economy. Friedrich Merz intends to release a €500bn infrastructure fund and relax debt rules – currently protected by the constitution – via the outgoing parliament, where parties in favour of the proposals – his conservatives, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens – have the necessary two-thirds majority. Merz needs the support of almost all the MPs who have signalled their willingness to back the scheme as he also reckons with some dissenters, including a former CDU general secretary who Merz sacked in 2023. Financial markets have followed the developments closely, reacting positively to the news last week that Merz had secured the Greens’ support. Experts have said the fiscal injection has the power to lift Germany’s economic fortunes after two years of negative growth, but some have warned that they must be accompanied by robust reform proposals. Elsewhere, we will also be monitoring the situation in Germany today, where the Bundestag will vote on a historic package of spending reforms proposed by chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz. The sitting starts very soon, at 10am (9am GMT), with votes expected around 2pm (1pm GMT). So let’s hear from our Berlin correspondent on the significance of the vote… US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin will speak on the phone today discussing the next step in Trump’s plans for bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine. On Sunday, Trump said that negotiators had already talked about “dividing up certain assets”, including power stations. The legal status of Russia-occupied territories is also believed to be on the table. Much to Europe’s frustration, it once again finds itself not at the table and having to rely on readouts from Washington or Moscow containing only what they choose to disclose. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha sought to strike an upbeat tone this morning, telling reporters in India that “with leadership of president Trump, we could achieve long-lasting, just peace.” But he also repeated some of Kyiv’s red lines, including its refusal to recognise any of the occupied territories as Russian. For now, Europe continues its work on a security arrangement that could support a ceasefire or a peace deal, if one is agreed. On Thursday and Friday, European leaders will meet again for the European Council in Brussels, and army chiefs will continue their coordinations in London. But today’s Trump-Putin phone call will define the future of the talks. We will bring you all the updates throughout the day. It’s Tuesday, 18 March 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here. Good morning.
Author: Jakub Krupa