Morning opening: Ukraine eyes 10 Patriot systems, direct meeting with Putin
Jakub Krupa
Ukraine is looking to secure funding for 10 Patriot air defence systems under the deal agreed with US president Donald Trump, with active diplomatic efforts to find sponsors for all of them, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Previously Germany suggested it could pay for two systems, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden among other European countries declaring their support for the initiative.
In comments released to journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy also insisted he “listened and responded adequately” to concerns over the anti-graft law, with the new bill now being proposed to resolve concerns about the anti-corruption agencies’ independence.
He also admitted that there should “probably have been more of a dialogue” before the original law was adopted, AFP noted.
The president added:
“I am focused on the issue of the war because right now, the number one issue in Ukraine is the war. The biggest problem is the war. The main enemy is Russia.”
Zelenskyy suggested that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators started discussing a direct meeting between him and Putin in another bid to end the conflict.
“In talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress toward some kind of meeting format.”
Elsewhere, I will be looking at the E3 meeting of the UK, France and Germany on Gaza and Palestine, which will surely attract more attention after the French president, Emmanuel Macron, pledged to recognise the state of Palestine in September.
Separately, Baltic defence ministers are meeting with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, as we also await updates on the much-awaited EU-US trade deal.
I will bring you all key updates from across Europe today.
It’s Friday, 25 July 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Major archeological sites in Greece closing during day as heatwave continues
Helena Smith
in Athens
Over in Greece, the culture ministry has announced that it will be extending a ban on opening hours of all archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, in Athens after the weather service predicted that scorching temperatures were unlikely to recede until Monday.
The worst of the heatwave is likely to hit today and tomorrow.
“Archaeological sites will remain closed between 12:00 to 17:00 due to high temperatures for the safety of workers and visitors,” the ministry said in a statement released mid-morning today.
Devastating wildfires in Cyprus leave at least two dead, dozens injured
Helena Smith
Elsewhere, wildfires, described as the worst in more than half a century, have devastated large tracts of southern Cyprus, leaving at least two dead, dozens injured and hundreds displaced.
As the EU announced it would send in water-bombing planes, after the island requested help though the bloc’s civil protection mechanism, an estimated 250 firefighters battled to contain blazes raging on multiple fronts.
By midday Thursday, nearly 24 hours after breaking out, the infernos had consumed more than 40 square miles of territory, decimating prime agricultural land and dozens of homes in village communities outside Limassol on the Troodos range.
Charalambos Theopemptou, the Green MP who chairs the Cypriot parliament’s environmental committee, spoke of a “tragic situation” with blazes fuelled by extreme weather and gale-force winds.
Temperatures nudging 44C in several parts of the east Mediterranean island were forecast to rise further Friday as a week-long heatwave intensified across southern Europe.
“We haven’t seen such devastating fires since the Turkish invasion in 1974,” he told the Guardian.
“It’s tragic, people have died, 72 houses and 91 cars have been burned, it’s absolute chaos and that’s also because preventative measures haven’t been taken … scandalously and tragically the public warning system, an EU directive voted into law back in 2022, has not been implemented.”
As a result, panic-stricken people had attempted to outrun the flames in their cars.
“Narrow streets in small communities were jam-packed and that’s how people died,” Theopemptou said.
“The government has made a real mess of things. Illegal waste dumps haven’t been cleared, [inflammable] vegetation hasn’t been removed, basic infrastructure like big cement water tanks and hose pipe points aren’t in place, all of which has helped the fires spread.”
By late Thursday, Greece, Egypt, Israel and the UK, which has an RAF base on the divided island, announced they would also be weighing in with air support and fire fighters.
Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway north have also offered to help with some going so far as to gather food and supplies for those in fire-stricken areas.
Germany to pay for two Patriot systems, Norway one – Zelenskyy
In further comments from Zelenskyy, he confirmed that Germany will finance two Patriot systems, and Norway will pay for one, with further talks under way, including the Netherlands.
In addition to securing air defence supplies, Ukraine needs to cover a financing gap of $40bn next year, Zelenskiy said in remarks released by his office and reported by Reuters.
Morning opening: Ukraine eyes 10 Patriot systems, direct meeting with Putin
Jakub Krupa
Ukraine is looking to secure funding for 10 Patriot air defence systems under the deal agreed with US president Donald Trump, with active diplomatic efforts to find sponsors for all of them, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Previously Germany suggested it could pay for two systems, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden among other European countries declaring their support for the initiative.
In comments released to journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy also insisted he “listened and responded adequately” to concerns over the anti-graft law, with the new bill now being proposed to resolve concerns about the anti-corruption agencies’ independence.
He also admitted that there should “probably have been more of a dialogue” before the original law was adopted, AFP noted.
The president added:
“I am focused on the issue of the war because right now, the number one issue in Ukraine is the war. The biggest problem is the war. The main enemy is Russia.”
Zelenskyy suggested that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators started discussing a direct meeting between him and Putin in another bid to end the conflict.
“In talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress toward some kind of meeting format.”
Elsewhere, I will be looking at the E3 meeting of the UK, France and Germany on Gaza and Palestine, which will surely attract more attention after the French president, Emmanuel Macron, pledged to recognise the state of Palestine in September.
Separately, Baltic defence ministers are meeting with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, as we also await updates on the much-awaited EU-US trade deal.
I will bring you all key updates from across Europe today.
It’s Friday, 25 July 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
