BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone on Thursday about arms deliveries to Ukraine, a spokesperson for the German leaders told Reuters. Merz initiated the call with Trump, the spokesperson said on Friday. Spiegel magazine first reported on the call.

While the US government is scaling back its military aid to Ukraine, and even halting previously promised arms shipments, the German government is intensifying its military cooperation with Kiev.

By Miranda Murray and Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed his country's offer to buy Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump by phone on Thursday,

The Russian military is increasingly using banned chemical weapons like chloropicrin in Ukraine, forcing soldiers into the open. Dutch and German intelligence agencies revealed this, urging sanctions and support for Kyiv.

Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, they said on Friday.