European NATO leaders must not be naive when discussing a Ukraine peace force but face up to the reality that they would need to deploy tens of thousands of troops to the country for the long term, the head of Germany's soldiers' union said.

The United States and the European Union have entered a free-trade agreement, the White House announced on Thursday, adding that the deal represents a "concrete demonstration of our commitment to fair,

White House officials hailed the joint statement as an important step. The deal is still not final and officials have weeks or even months of negotiations ahead.

The outlook for European corporate health has slightly deteriorated, the latest earnings forecasts showed on Tuesday, marking a change of direction after several weeks of improvement.

European leaders may have rushed to Washington ostensibly to throw a protective arm around President Zelensky and head off any repeat of February's Oval Office bust-up. But their real aim is to stop US President Donald Trump threatening long-term European security after his abrupt change of course over how best to end the war in Ukraine.

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has met with 30 international leaders to discuss the next steps for ensuring Ukraine’s security

The framework includes a 15% tariff on most EU imports, while the EU pledges to remove tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods

US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen shake on it after "tough negotiations" in Scotland.

Former fast-food executive Andrew Puzder officially became the U.S. ambassador to the European Union during a swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Wednesday.