Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Paris for talks Sunday night with French President Emmanuel Macron, extending a multi-stop European tour that has elicited fresh pledges of military support as his country gears up for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces. In a tweet on his arrival, Zelenskyy said: “With each visit, Ukraine’s defense and offensive capabilities are expanding. The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing.” France dispatched a plane to pick up Zelenskyy in Germany, where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Sunday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the European Union to address the political, economic and strategic challenges it faces by embracing a series of reforms. These should include the EU's pooling its defense procurement efforts, forging new trade deals and setting aside long-running disputes over migration from outside the bloc. Speaking to lawmakers in the European Parliament, he said that a prosperous and democratic Ukraine that eventually joins the EU would be the strongest counterpoint to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “imperialist, revisionist and illegal policies on our continent.” Scholz backed calls for “effective protection of external borders” but also urged member states to consider the benefits of migration.
The German government has presented a proposal for a law that will make it easier for people to legally change their name and gender, ending decades-old rules that require them to get expert assessments and a court’s authorization. Under the planned “self-determination law,” adults would be able to change their first name and legal gender at registry offices without further formalities. Germany's minister for families, Lisa Paus said Tuesday that “this way we can give back some of the dignity to those who have been deprived of it for decades.” The existing “transsexual law,” which took effect in 1981, currently requires individuals to obtain assessments from two ”experts" and then a court decision before they can change their gender on official documents.