German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Wednesday to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their use and targets as the Kyiv government fights to repel Russia's invasion.

BERLIN — Germany’s culture ministry is drafting a bill that would introduce a levy of 10 percent on big digital platforms that use media content.

NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more brigades, or some 40,000 troops, for the alliance's defence, three sources told Reuters, under new targets for weapons and troop numbers that its members' defence ministers are set to agree on next week.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the two countries will also start a joint program to produce long-range weapons that Kyiv can use against Russian targets.

Berlin has formally presented its bid to rehost the Olympic Games. The presentation took place in the same stadium where Jesse Owens starred during the 1936 Games under the Nazis.

Earlier, several Ukrainian media outlets, citing sources, also refuted the May 28 German newspaper Spiegel report that Zelenskyy had allegedly canceled his planned participation in several events in Berlin after meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The EU is increasingly bending its own rules, giving Germany space to negotiate despite fears that Berlin is disadvantaging others.

BERLIN, GERMANY | Xinhua | Germany on Monday rejected Uganda’s accusation that its ambassador was involved in “subversive activities,” calling it “absurd and baseless.” Speaking at a press conference in Berlin,