Germany news: 'Germany wants to be respected' - minister

Skip next section ANALYSIS: Wadephul signals to UN that it's Germany’s turn Published June 18, 2026 last updated June 18, 2026

ANALYSIS: Wadephul signals to UN that it's Germany’s turn

It may look like Germany’s in a huff because it failed to obtain a two-year seat on the UN Security Council . But that’s not the whole story.

The country urgently needs to save money, due to a long-lasting economic slump and soaring spending.

Almost all aspects of the federal budget are under close scrutiny, including the billions Germany feeds into the UN system on a yearly basis.

But what Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is probably also hinting is that Germany feels underrepresented on UN bodies and commissions. And since there are always appointments being negotiated on those levels in an organisation as big as the United Nations, Wadephul likely wants to send the message that now it’s Germany’s turn.

https://p.dw.com/p/5FdEO

Skip next section Wadephul after UN Security Council snub: 'Germany wants to be respected' June 18, 2026

Wadephul after UN Security Council snub: 'Germany wants to be respected'

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has hinted that Berlin could rethink its contributions to the United Nations in the wake of Germany 's failed bid for a temporary seat on the body's Security Council .

"It cannot be that we are one of the biggest contributors but don't have a say in certain decisions," he told the Rheinische Post newspaper in Bonn on Thursday. "So, of course, parliament will have to take a closer look at certain commitments in the budget."

Germany missed out on a rotating seat on the UN Security Council for the first ever time earlier this month when the available places in the "Western Europe and Others" group went to Portugal and Austria .

"Germany has interests and Germany wants to be respected," said Wadephul. "This is not a demand for dominance. But the United Nations must now be prepared for us to mark our position more clearly in future."

Germany fails in bid for temporary seat on UNSC

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Skip next section World Cup: Ivory Coast player denied entry to Canada ahead of Germany match June 18, 2026

World Cup: Ivory Coast player denied entry to Canada ahead of Germany match

Germany 's next World Cup opponents, Ivory Coast , will be without striker Elye Wahi in Toronto on Saturday after the 23-year-old was denied entry to Canada due to match-fixing allegations.

Wahi, who is under contract at German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt but was on loan at French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice last season, is currently being investigated by authorities in Marseille in connection to allegations of "organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering," according to a statement provided to The New York Times (NYT).

The allegations concern in particular a Ligue 1 fixture between Nice and FC Metz (0-0) on 17 May in which Wahi is alleged to have intentionally picked up a yellow card.

In a statement, the French Football League (LFP) said they had been made aware of "an unusual volume of bets relating to a booking involving the player Elye Wahi."

According to the NYT, Wahi was arrested on by French police on 29 May but was released without charge as investigations continued.

Having not been charged with a crime, his entry into the United States , where Ivory Coast are based and where Wahi started in a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday, was deemed unproblematic.

But Canadian authorities have taken a stricter line, as they did with Ghana 's Thomas Partey who was last week denied entry due to rape and sexual abuse charges in the United Kingdom , to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Wahi was born in Paris and represented France at youth level before opting to play for Ivory Coast. He has since made three appearances for the "Elephants."

https://p.dw.com/p/5FdPm

Skip next section German state set for 40% stake in tank manufacturer KNDS June 18, 2026

German state set for 40% stake in tank manufacturer KNDS

The German government has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission to purchase a 40% stake in the Franco-German arms manufacturer KNDS, which produces Leopard-2 combat tanks , among other weapons systems.

The German Defense Ministry's stake in the company will therefore be equal to that held by the French government, although Berlin reportedly intends to reduce its share to 30% in the coming years.

KNDS emerged from a merger between German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and the state-owned French arms producer Nexter in 2015 — partly due to cuts in German defense spending at the time.

That policy has been reversed since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with Germany and other European countries ramping up military expenditure. The German government recently stated its…