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Germany news: Ukraine in focus at Berlin Security Conference
Germany news: Ukraine in focus at Berlin Security Conference
Timothy Jones dpa, Reuters, AP, AFP, epd, KNAPublished 11/03/2026Published November 3, 2026last updated 11/04/2026last updated November 4, 2026A security conference in the German capital is addressing defending Europe against threats from Russia. Meanwhile, Germany's justice minister wants to raise penalties for sexual offenses.
https://p.dw.com/p/5OyoUPrefer DW on GoogleWhat you need to know
This blog is now closed. It was a roundup of some of the top stories from and about Germany on November 3, 2026:
- The 25th Berlin Security Conference is kicking off in the German capital
- The conference will focus on the war in Ukraine and ways to counter growing Russian aggression against European countries
- Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has presented a bill that broadens the definition of sexual harassment and envisages higher penalties for sexual offenses
- Conservative Bavarian Premier Markus Söder has called for a European-Arab free trade area during a trip to the United Arab Emirates
- Another child has been reported injured by a sharp object hidden in Halloween candy
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Edited by:Dmytro Hubenkohttps://p.dw.com/p/5P2KySkip next section Prosecutors report arrest of Turkish man in connection with Starlink attack in Poland11/03/2026November 3, 2026Prosecutors report arrest of Turkish man in connection with Starlink attack in Poland
Jon Shelton with AFP, dpaProsecutors in Germany on Tuesday announced the arrest of a Turkish man in connection with a fire set at a Polish Starlink station in late September.
Tuesday's arrest in the southwestern city of Reutlingen follows the October 12 apprehension of two further Turkish passport holders.
Prosecutors say the man is suspected of having "commissioned the two men arrested on October 12 with carrying out the arson attack in Poland."
Authorities believe he "arranged for the men to be driven to Poland by another female suspect on the night of the 22-23 September, in order to set fire to the terminal of a satellite internet service."
Police discovered eight cellphones as well as munitions at the suspect's home.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has labelled the fire an "act of hybrid warfare" and his country is seeking extradition of those arrested.
The station targeted belongs to Poland's state-owned telecommunications company Exatel and is used by Elon Musk's satellite internet company Starlink, a key component of Ukraine's self-defense against Russian missiles and drones.
Poland, a NATO member state, has joined a growing chorus of European nations in accusing Russia of carrying out "hybrid warfare" on Ukraine's allies.
The station remained operational after the fire.
Edited by:Rana Tahahttps://p.dw.com/p/5P1xMSkip next section Merz meets Zelenskyy in Berlin, pledges winter aid for Ukraine 11/03/2026November 3, 2026Merz meets Zelenskyy in Berlin, pledges winter aid for Ukraine
Wesley RahnGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin on Tuesday, vowing continued support for Kyiv, while calling on Russia to take serious steps toward ending the war it launched in February 2022.
"We will continue our support until this war is over," Merz said during a joint press conference with Zelenskyy, emphasizing that the outcome "will shape European security for a long time."
Merz said Germany would provide Ukraine with aid over the winter, during which Russia is expected to heavily strike civilian infrastructure.
Germany's DPA news agency reported the additional winter aid is expected to total €200 million ($223.8 million).
Zelenskyy thanked Germany and Europe for support, saying that Ukraine would "not have survived" without it.
Amid US-organized talks planned in Abu Dhabi for next week including Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, Merz said he is doubtful Russia is serious about pursuing peace.
"It is important that Russia finally and seriously engages in negotiations about a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement," the chancellor said. "I do not see that happening so far."
"Our message to Russia is therefore clear: it is time to bring this war to an end," Merz said.
Is Trump trying to end the war in Ukraine, or helping Putin win it?
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Edited by:Rana Tahahttps://p.dw.com/p/5P1gBSkip next section New gas-fired plants to be built as wind and solar energy backup11/03/2026November 3, 2026New gas-fired plants to be built as wind and solar energy backup
Timothy JonesNew gas-fired power stations are to be built across Germany by 2031 to supply electricity to the grid when wind and solar generation is not sufficient, according to plans announced by the Federal Network Agency on Tuesday.
The projects were selected through a tender process in which 41 bids were submitted.
Eleven of those were successful, with 10 going to energy giants RWE and LEAG or their affiliates.
The average contract price was said to be €155,296 ($173,829) per megawatt-hour, which results in annual costs of just over €800 million for the 11 power station projects.
Those costs are to be borne by all electricity consumers via a new levy that will raise prices, though it remains unclear by how much.
Initially, the new plants will be fired by natural gas, but it is planned that they will use climate-neutral hydrogen by 2045 at the latest.
The environmental organization Greenpeace has criticized the plan, saying that the government "continues to chain our country" to fossil fuel.
It said modern, environmentally friendly and increasingly cheap alternatives such as energy storage systems had been excluded from the first tender process.
The conservative Economy and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche has faced much criticism over her ties to the energy sector, her former field of work.
Edited by:Rana Tahahttps://p.dw.com/p/5P0UiSkip next section Merz reports progress on bill to stop Berlin Left's expropriation scheme11/03/2026November 3, 2026Merz reports progress on bill to stop Berlin Left's expropriation scheme
Timothy JonesA bill that aims to prevent the Left Party from putting large private housing companies into public ownership in Berlin if it comes to power is making progress, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday.
"The bill is finished," Merz, the leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU),said at an event organized by the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
He said the only open question was whether 100% or 80% of the market value had to be compensated.
"I don't think I need to spell out that we favor 100% market value," he said.
His remarks come as the socialist Left Party, which emerged as strongest force in state elections in Berlin in September, is holding coalition talks with the Greens and center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
Move to reduce cost of rentals
An exploratory paper issued by the three parties includes plan to expropriate private housing companies with holdings of at least 10,000 apartments in Berlin, with some compensation also planned, though critics say it is too little.
The Left Party argues that offering the then state-owned apartments at lower rents would have a knock-on effect, reducing prices across Berlin.
Merz, for his part, said that such an expropriation in the German capital would have negative "repercussions as far as the capital markets in London, Paris and New York," saying that protecting property was a basic principle underpinning the economic order.
He said seizing companies in this way would severely damage the business environment, while failing to create jobs or housing.
However, it is in doubt whether the federal government can legally ban the planned expropriation, with Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig from the SPD among those expressing doubts about a general prohibition.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OzwQSkip next section Another child injured eating Halloween candy11/03/2026November 3, 2026Another child injured eating Halloween candy
Timothy JonesA second child has received slight mouth injuries after eating manipulated candy collected at Halloween, police in the northeastern city of Rostock said on Tuesday.
The child was said to have bitten on a needle hidden in the candy.
This comes after a 9-year-old girl in Bremervörde in the state of Lower Saxony also suffered injuries to her tongue from a 5-cm (2-inch) pin contained in a chocolate bar.
Police in several other states have also reported finds of sharp metal items in Halloween candy, with parents warned to carefully examine treats collected during trick-and-treating on October 31.
It remains unclear how the items came to be in the candy, but police are looking into the possibility that intentional physical harm was in play.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OzO7Skip next section Bavarian Premier Söder calls for European-Arab free trade zone11/03/2026November 3, 2026Bavarian Premier Söder calls for European-Arab free trade zone
Timothy JonesMarkus Söder, the leader of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) and premier of the southern state, has said Europe should establish a free trade area with Arab countries.
On the sidelines of a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Söder, whose party is allied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), said, "I believe that further free trade areas are needed to facilitate all the investments that can be made there."
He said other Arab countries other than the Emirates would also be interested.
In September, the Emirati head of state, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced investments worth up to tens of billions in Germany during a state visit, with €10 billion ($11.1 billion) intended for Bavaria.
Söder is to visit Qatar on Tuesday as part of his trip.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5Oz9QSkip next section IN DEPTH: Ukraine's Zelenskyy to visit Berlin for talks11/03/2026November 3, 2026IN DEPTH: Ukraine's Zelenskyy to visit Berlin for talks
Timothy JonesGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay a surprise visit to Berlin on Tuesday.
The visit, which was kept secret for security reasons, comes as Zelenskyy is demanding more help from European allies to help defend his country against Russia's invasion as the US proves increasingly unreliable in this regard.
You can read more in this DW article: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to make surprise Berlin visit this Tuesday, Merz says
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5Oz6ySkip next section First supermarket freezer attacks reported in Germany11/03/2026November 3, 2026First supermarket freezer attacks reported in Germany
Timothy JonesSeveral media outlets are reporting that hacking attacks have targeted freezers in German supermarkets for the first time, causing them to heat up to 50 C (122 F) and thus damaging the food they contain.
One reported attack was at a supermarket in Lower Bavaria in southern Germany, while others were said to have occurred in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In one case, the attack was reportedly not directly on the supermarket concerned, but on the company that monitored the freezer systems remotely.
The attacks follow similar incidents in several other European countries, including France, Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden.
So far, authorities have failed to identify the person or people responsible for the attacks.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5Oz4xSkip next section Justice Minister Hubig presents bill on sexual offenses11/03/2026November 3, 2026Justice Minister Hubig presents bill on sexual offenses
A new bill put forward by Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig envisages tightening law on sexual offenses, among other things by criminalizing verbal sexual harassment and raising penalties for gang rapes.
According to the bill, "anyone harassing another person with a sexually meant utterance or gesture that could intimidate or pressure them" could face criminal charges.
The bill thus seeks to make "catcalling" an offense, although the bill does not use this term, as Hubig's ministry argues that the word is controversial and trivializes the act.
The draft legislation would also make gang rapes punishable by a prison sentence of no fewer than five years, while sexual assaults or sexual coercion carried out by several perpetrators would bring a minimum sentence of three years rather than the current two.
Under the provisions of the bill, limitation periods would also be set uniformly at 20 years for gang rapes and sexual assaults.
Currently, the period can be as short as five years in some cases.
Survivors: Timeline to punish rape in Germany is too short
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"Sexual harassment and sexualized violence are a massive problem and are part of everyday life for too many woman," Hubig said.
She said "red lines and punishments" were needed to make offenders realize that "sexual offenses are unacceptable," whether physical or verbal in character.
"No matter whether at home, online or on the street and squares — women have to be safe from assault," she said.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OytfSkip next section Berlin Security Conference kicks off11/03/2026November 3, 2026Berlin Security Conference kicks off
Timothy JonesThe two-day Berlin Security Conference is kicking off in the German capital for the 25th time on Tuesday.
This year, the focus will be on what many see as the biggest challenge toRussia's war in Ukraine European peace for decades: the threat of Russian aggression as reflected in its invasion of Ukraine and hybrid attacks on other European countries.
The conference's partner country this year is Lithuania, a country that shares an uncomfortable border with Russia and fears greatly for its own security.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is to open the event and later to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with not just security issues but also Lithuania's upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union on the agenda.
The program for the conference also includes a speech by a still unnamed "special guest" to be held mid-morning.
The conference has been taking place annually since 2001.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OyrnSkip next section Welcome to our coverage11/03/2026November 3, 2026Guten Tag from DW's newsroom on the banks of the still-languishing Rhine River in Bonn!
Today, we will be looking at what comes out of this year's Berlin Security Conference, where European lawmakers, military figures and security authorities will discuss the threat emanating from Russia as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.
We will also focus on a bill envisaging a wider definition of what constitutes a sexual offense and harsher penalties for those guilty of perpetrating them.
And there has been another report of a child's being injured from eating Halloween candy.
You can read about these stories and more in our updates from the heart of Europe.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OyrdShow more posts