German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a June 11 Bundestag speech ahead of an EU summit, proposed creating an EU associate membership for Ukraine that would allow Kyiv to participate in EU summits, have a commissioner in Brussels, and send lawmakers to the European Parliament, all without voting rights. He stressed full membership remains conditional on meeting accession criteria. Merz also reaffirmed Germany's long-term support for Ukraine, announced work on a 21st EU sanctions package against Russia, and called for higher EU defense spending. The proposal drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who insisted on full and equal membership.

Background: In June 2025, German AfD lawmakers Markus Frohnmaier and Steffen Kotré attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), drawing criticism from German politicians who warned of espionage risks. During the forum, Frohnmaier met Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Putin's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, both under Western sanctions, while former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder also met Putin. Now, Germany's ruling coalition parties, CDU/CSU and SPD, are considering tighter security measures in parliament to protect classified information after the AfD delegation's trip. CDU/CSU parliamentary secretary Steffen Bilger and SPD interior politician Sebastian Fiedler warned of espionage and influence risks, calling for a review of parliamentary secrecy rules.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated openness to EU proposals for tougher trade measures against China, citing unfair trade practices and industrial overcapacity. Germany's trade deficit with China has reached €90 billion, contributing to job losses in manufacturing. The EU is considering an overcapacity instrument and additional trade measures, while France plans a G7-China call to address macroeconomic imbalances.

The German Ethics Council has advised against a general statutory minimum age for social media use, instead recommending a risk-based protection concept that includes AI chatbots and other digital services. The council calls for age verification technologies for harmful content like pornography while preserving parental educational freedom, and urges updating the Youth Media Protection Treaty to address AI risks. The recommendation comes in response to a request from Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, who expressed concern about the impact of social media on children's political opinion formation.

German federal and state justice ministers are meeting in Hamburg to debate extending the statute of limitations for certain rape cases from five to ten or twenty years, and to adopt an affirmative consent standard ('only yes means yes'). The debate follows a 2016 legal reform that inadvertently shortened the limitation period for cases where the victim could not form or express an opposing will, exemplified by the case of Claudia Wuttke, whose 65 alleged rapes were dismissed due to the short limitation. The decisions are non-binding but signal legislative intent.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev thanked German taxpayers for enabling the German government's support for Ukraine, stating that the aid helps intercept incoming Russian missiles. He emphasized that Ukraine seeks a just peace and that negotiations can only come from a position of strength. The statement was made during a visit to the Brandenburg state parliament.

The Bundestag is debating a draft law by Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig that would make e-scooter rental companies strictly liable for damages caused by their vehicles, regardless of fault. The measure aims to close a gap where victims of accidents involving rental scooters often cannot recover damages. The law would also introduce a presumption of fault for riders.

The German Navy's Brandenburg-class (F123) frigates will undergo a mid-life upgrade including installation of a towed sonar system from Elbit's Canadian subsidiary GeoSpectrum Technologies, chosen for its compact size. The modernization will also feature a high degree of system commonality with the planned F128 frigates, including the 9LV command system from Saab, to simplify logistics and training. The F123 upgrade delivery is scheduled for 2029, coinciding with the expected delivery of the first F128s.