DIRECT. War in Ukraine: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposes that kyiv become a "associate member

🔴 The point of the end of the day

Three railway workers were killed by a Ukrainian drone in Russia, Moscow announced this Thursday, May 21. Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian strike killed 2 people in Russia 800 km from the border.

Germany is pushing for Ukraine to move closer to the EU, in the absence of accession which will take time.

Many NATO countries “do not spend enough” on Ukraine, said its Secretary General Mark Rutte

Vladimir Putin welcomes nuclear exercises

The Russian army began three days of exercises and nuclear weapons training on Tuesday, May 19, the Russian Defense Minister announced on Telegram, a few hours before Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Russia has regularly threatened to use its nuclear weapons. The Russian Defense Ministry explains that “from May 19 to 21, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are conducting a preparation exercise and to use their nuclear weapons in the event of a threat of aggression.

Three railway workers killed by Ukrainian drone in Russia

“A service locomotive was the target of a drone attack at Unetcha station, in the Bryansk oblast,” communicated the RGD. Three employees of the Russian Railways Company died in the attack, the driver, his assistant and a technician.

Germany wants to associate Ukraine with the EU

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggests associating Ukraine with the European Union, in the absence of membership which will take time, in a letter to EU leaders, obtained on Thursday.

“It is obvious that we will not be able to successfully complete the accession process in the near future, taking into account the countless obstacles as well as the political complexities of the ratification procedures”, he wrote in this missive. As a result, Berlin proposes to grant kyiv an “associate member” status, “step “decisive” before full membership.

Ukraine strengthens its border areas with Belarus

L’ Ukraine announced Thursday that it was strengthening its defenses in the north of the country, on the border with Belarus, citing the threat of a new attack from the territory of this Russian-allied state.

These measures, “unprecedented in the number of forces and resources deployed” according to the security services (SBU), aim to “constitute an effective means of deterrence against any aggressive action or operation by the (Russian) enemy and its ally”.

These measures involve the police, armed forces, national guard and border guards. Five regions, notably those of Cherniguiv, kyiv and Rivne, are concerned.

These operations include reinforced controls to “prevent the enemy from infiltrating border areas, carrying out sabotage and terrorist activities, and carrying out subversive and intelligence operations”, added the SBU.

Many NATO countries “do not spend enough” on Ukraine, says its Secretary General Mark Rutte

Many NATO countries are not devoting enough financial resources to support Ukraine, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this Thursday, who wants a debate on minimal support per country. The support “is not evenly distributed within NATO. It is concentrated on a limited number of countries, including Sweden, which really goes above and beyond in terms of support for Ukraine, as well as other countries like Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, without forgetting a few others”, he said during a press conference alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

Ukrainian strike kills 2 in Russia 800 km from the border

A Ukrainian drone attack killed two people and injured several people this Thursday in the Russian region of Samara, more than 800 km from Ukraine, the local governor said. Ukraine claims to have carried out a strike against a refinery there. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a new “long-range” strike by the Ukrainian army against the country’s oil infrastructure.

Truck driver killed by Russian strike in Ukraine

A heavy goods vehicle driver, driving his truck, was targeted by a drone in the Kharkiv region, announced the national emergency service on Telegram. Following the impact, the heavy goods vehicle overturned and caught fire. The driver was 40 years old.

Russian refinery on fire after Ukrainian attack

A fire broke out at the Syzran oil refinery, in the Samara region of Russia, following a Ukrainian drone attack, according to Astra’s Telegram channel. Thick black smoke rose above the industrial zone. The plant produces gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, bitumen and other petroleum products. Damage to the site is not known.

Russia launched 116 drones on Ukraine last night

The Ukrainian Air Force announces that the Russian military launched 116 drones against Ukraine overnight. She indicates on Telegram that she succeeded in neutralizing or destroying 109 of the 116 drones. They targeted the north, south and east of the country.

“The Russians regularly test NATO defenses”

The discovery of a Russian drone in Lithuanian airspace on Wednesday May 20 caused great concern in this Baltic country. Due to Russia’s presence in the East, all of the Baltic countries live in fear of a Russian military attack. Unable to stand up to the Russian army alone, Russia is taking advantage of this situation to test the defenses of the EU and NATO. Guillaume Ancel, a former French officer specializing in military and defense issues, returns in an interview to the situation in the Baltic countries and the way in which they face the Russian threat.

Russia is preparing a disinformation campaign against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian foreign intelligence service

Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service (SZRU) says Russia is preparing a campaign to destabilize Ukraine and weaken Western support for Ukrainians, based on Russian documents. The Kremlin would have tasked its special services with leading a discrediting campaign against the Ukrainian mobilization, against Volodymyr Zelensky and his entourage. Ukraine says it is observing the first effects of this campaign.

German Chancellor proposes that Ukraine become an “associate member” of the European Union

In the absence of rapid accession to the European Union – it has been a candidate since December 2023 – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposes that Ukraine become an “associate member of the EU. It would allow Ukrainians to participate in certain meetings of the European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of the EU, to have an “associate” European commissioner without portfolio, and “associate” European deputies without voting rights Ukraine’s accession negotiations promise to be long and arduous, particularly concerning the agricultural aspect.

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Follow the news of the war in Ukraine, this Thursday, May 21, 2026, on ladepeche.fr.