Earlier this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Europe’s strongest army – a tall order for a country whose military has undergone years of neglect.

Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, is pushing to expand its military in case tensions with Russia escalate. That’s tricky in a country where the Nazi era casts a long shadow.

Germany’s president is laying a wreath Friday at Coventry Cathedral in central England, symbolically atoning for the atrocities of World War II as his country and the United Kingdom seek to bolster an alliance to combat the new war raging in Europe.

Germany’s Bundestag voted for a bill on Friday that allows the country to move towards conscription, as tensions with Russia spur calls for Europe to gain more independence from the US security umbrella.

The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.

BRUSSELS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they held “very constructive” talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Friday over an EU plan to use Russian frozen assets to fund Ukraine,

France is not the only European nation bolstering its military capabilities – and its approach is seen as much lighter than in many Nordic and Baltic states, where service is compulsory. Latvia and Croatia are the two most recent EU countries to reintroduce an obligatory term in the ranks.

The New York mayor-elect's victory has motivated the European left, with politicians casting themselves as their country's version of Mamdani, and strategists eager to study how he won.

By Marie Mannes STOCKHOLM, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Tesla launched the new, lower-priced version of its Model 3 car in Europe on Friday, two months after its U.S. debut, aiming to boost sales as competition intensifies and demand slows.