EU readying new sanctions to increase pressure on Russia

Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said that Europe must increase its defence capacities, adding that the region needs to work with the United States to end war in Ukraine.

"We have to undertake all efforts to keep the Americans on our side," Merz said. "We cannot substitute or replace what the Americans still do for us on our continent."

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Fatos Bytyci in Tirana Additional reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Ingrid Melander, Bart Meijer, William James and Julia Payne Writing by Ingrid Melander and Edward McAllister Editing by Alex Richardson, Frances Kerry, William Maclean)