By Sarah Marsh and Matthias Williams BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said Europe was prepared to fight if necessary for its core values of freedom and democracy, in an explicit riposte to the Trump administration's repeated criticisms of the European Union.

Germany's labor office anticipates a financial shortfall of 11.9 billion euros by 2029 due to rising unemployment. Immediate government loans may be required as nearly 1 million people face unemployment benefits.

Everything suggests that the military conflict on the Ukraine sees the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a historic chance to return Germany to a full-fledged military role in Europe. This was stated by Senator Alexei Pushkov.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz for the first time publicly advocated spending up to 5% of the German economy on defense.

The chancellor is trying to create an alibi for a crime against humanity that he has supported more unconditionally than almost any other German politician for a year and a half—without changing his policies in the slightest.

Speculation is rising after Ukrainian President Zelensky met German Chancellor Merz to discuss acquiring German-made Taurus missiles—highly lethal, long-range weapons capable of striking deep into Russia.

Germany’s new ruling coalition agreed to push ahead with measures aimed at stimulating the struggling economy and to enact as much legislation as possible before leaving for summer break in mid-July.

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.