Germany's Left Party will vote against a special fund for increased military spending in the next legislature, party leader Ines Schwerdtner said on Tuesday.

On February 24th America sided with Russia and North Korea in voting against a UN resolution proposed by its European allies that blamed Russia for invading Ukraine. It then pushed through its own resolution in the Security Council with the support of Russia and China that called for a “swift end” to the war,

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia was not opposed to Europe's involvement in Russia-U.S. peace talks aimed at settling the conflict in Ukraine, but noted that Brussels had long rejected any dialogue with Moscow.

Europe's participation in Ukraine peace talks will be needed eventually but Moscow first wants to build trust with Washington, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, while suggesting that a deal to end the conflict may still be far off.

Friedrich Merz has vowed to prioritize European unity and the continent's security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia's war on Ukraine​.

Wall Street struggled for traction on Monday, ending mixed after slumping last week, while German election results buoyed German shares and Europe's single currency as investors waited for midweek results from artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia.

Germany faces its second change of leader in less than four years after the head of the center-right opposition won Sunday’s election