Berlin

Berlin is seeking to send a "positive signal" to Turkey about its ties with the European Union, with the inclusion of a paragraph to this effect in the conclusions of the ongoing summit in Brussels, Euractiv reported on Thursday.

Flights abroad for the long weekends of Clean Monday and Independence Day on March 25 are showing increased occupancy rates of over 75%.

For those departing this weekend from Athens, the most popular destinations are Oslo, Bologna, Geneva, Amsterdam and Lisbon, while those departing from Thessaloniki mainly travel to Frankfurt, Berlin, Larnaca, Munich and Dusseldorf.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Saturday evening that Western ground operations in Ukraine might be necessary "at some point", days after meeting with German and Polish leaders.

Last month Macron refused to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine, which prompted a stern response from Berlin and other European partners.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will receive French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on Friday after tensions between the leaders blew out into the open over differences on how to support Ukraine.

After a clear-the-air meeting in the chancellery, the pair will be joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk for urgent consultations on further European military backing for Kiev.

Türkiye aims to attract at least 7 million tourists from Germany alone this year, when it hopes to welcome 60 million foriegn visitors, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy has said.

Amidst a delay in crucial military assistance from Western allies, Ukrainian forces find themselves compelled to withdraw from frontline positions, adopting a defensive stance, as per a recent report by the Washington Institute for the Study of War.

Aegean Airlines has secured another slot at London's Heathrow airport and is adding to its schedule a fourth daily flight from Athens to the UK's busiest international hub, it said on Tuesday.

The new flight will operate every day throughout the year except on Saturdays, leaving Athens at 4 p.m. local time and London/Heathrow at 7 p.m. local time.

Germany sought Tuesday to downplay an audio leak of senior military personnel discussing the war in Ukraine, blaming individual error and stressing that Berlin still had the trust of allies.

A 38-minute recording of the talks, in which the officers debated the possible use of German-made Taurus missiles by Ukraine, was posted online late Friday on Russian social media.

The Kremlin spokesman told reporters that Russia had taken steps in this regard and invited the German ambassador in Moscow to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RIA Novosti reported.
Peskov also pointed out that the conversation between German officers about the planned strikes on Crimea shows the direct involvement of the West in the conflict in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the content of a leaked conversation between German officials about potential strikes on Crimea proved Western countries were participating in the conflict in Ukraine.

In an embarrassing incident for Berlin, which is under pressure to supply missiles to Kiev, a recording of leaked talks was posted on social media on Friday.