Sarah Rainsford

Aber die Krieg in der Ukraine hat die Gedanken hier verändert. In Berlin, nahe einem Kriegsmemorial, habe ich Charlotte und Ludwig gesprochen.

Deutschland braucht Soldaten, als auch Waffen. Und bei den Ländern, die nur ein Rekrutierungszentrum haben, bekommen sie nur ein paar Anrufer pro Tag. Der alte Plan war, Truppennummern um 20.000 zu erhöhen. General Breuer sagt, sie brauchen fünfmal das.

Deutschland braucht Soldaten, als auch Waffen. Und bei den Ländern, die nur ein Rekrutierungszentrum haben, bekommen sie nur ein paar Anrufer pro Tag. Der alte Plan war, Truppennummern um 20.000 zu erhöhen. General Breuer sagt, sie brauchen fünfmal das.

Some form of conscription is necessary for Germany to defend itself.

Some form of conscription is necessary for Germany to defend itself.

That debate has only just started. But at the training base in Münster and from the General's words, the pivot in German thinking is already clear. A country that once insisted on engaging with Russia and on dialogue is now rushing to play catch-up on defence.

That debate has only just started. But at the training base in Münster and from the General's words, the pivot in German thinking is already clear. A country that once insisted on engaging with Russia and on dialogue is now rushing to play catch-up on defence.

We know that they spoke about quite a lot of substantial issues. Firstly, with Donald Trump briefing President Zelensky on the call that he had with Vladimir Putin yesterday and on the limited truce that they agreed on, where there will be no more targeting of energy sites by either side.

We know that they spoke about quite a lot of substantial issues. Firstly, with Donald Trump briefing President Zelensky on the call that he had with Vladimir Putin yesterday and on the limited truce that they agreed on, where there will be no more targeting of energy sites by either side.

But they also discussed what's going on in the Russian region, of course, where Ukrainian soldiers are fighting. And President Zelensky requested more air defence missiles and more equipment to help with their defence. And President Trump said he would talk to European partners about that. So it's

But they also discussed what's going on in the Russian region, of course, where Ukrainian soldiers are fighting. And President Zelensky requested more air defence missiles and more equipment to help with their defence. And President Trump said he would talk to European partners about that. So it's

There seems to have been a fairly detailed conversation, and one in which President Zelensky took great care to thank Donald Trump for his involvement, to say that Ukraine really is committed to peace, which they think can be achieved this year, and that that's thanks to Donald Trump's leadership.

There seems to have been a fairly detailed conversation, and one in which President Zelensky took great care to thank Donald Trump for his involvement, to say that Ukraine really is committed to peace, which they think can be achieved this year, and that that's thanks to Donald Trump's leadership.

That's President Zelensky going out of his way to be incredibly polite and diplomatic to Donald Trump in the way he likes, to avoid a row the like of which we saw, of course, three weeks ago in the Oval Office, where they had that absolutely explosive spat that resulted in Vladimir Zelensky being thrown out of the White House afterwards.

That's President Zelensky going out of his way to be incredibly polite and diplomatic to Donald Trump in the way he likes, to avoid a row the like of which we saw, of course, three weeks ago in the Oval Office, where they had that absolutely explosive spat that resulted in Vladimir Zelensky being thrown out of the White House afterwards.

Well, all of the official things we've heard from the White House, whether they're in Donald Trump's social media posts or in official readouts, as they call them, a description of the phone calls, have been very measured and very diplomatic. And of course, if Donald Trump thought he had scored a big success...

Well, all of the official things we've heard from the White House, whether they're in Donald Trump's social media posts or in official readouts, as they call them, a description of the phone calls, have been very measured and very diplomatic. And of course, if Donald Trump thought he had scored a big success...

we would be seeing more of his usual kind of loud boasts of how terrifically well things are going. There isn't even anything written in all capital letters in any of his social media posts. And that's because he frankly doesn't have a great deal to boast about after this week's diplomacy. He got President Putin to agree to an incredibly limited truce.

we would be seeing more of his usual kind of loud boasts of how terrifically well things are going. There isn't even anything written in all capital letters in any of his social media posts. And that's because he frankly doesn't have a great deal to boast about after this week's diplomacy. He got President Putin to agree to an incredibly limited truce.

not the full ceasefire for 30 days that Ukraine had already agreed to. Vladimir Putin is still insisting that there are various demands and guarantees he's looking for before he'll go towards a full ceasefire, let alone start talking about a peace settlement. So talks are going to begin again between the various American, Ukrainian and Russian teams in the Middle East this week.