Germany is calling on Russian authorities to provide "urgent" medical care to Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The dissident has said he is being denied access to basic medical treatment, despite being sick.

Kyiv's top diplomatic envoy in Berlin says his country needs German-made Leopard 2 tanks to fight Russia as soon as possible. But an arms maker said it could take until 2024 for its tanks are ready for export.

The strike destroyed an apartment building in the eastern city of Dnipro. Meanwhile, three people were killed in an ammunition explosion in a Russian region bordering Ukraine.

The German media is reporting that Boris Pistorius, interior minister of Lower Saxony, will become Olaf Scholz's new defense minister.

For a long time, few people in Germany took them seriously. But back in early December, around 20 members of a movement called Reichsbürger, or "Citizens of the Reich", were arrested for trying to organise a coup d’état. On December 7, the federal police broke up a far-right group close to the movement, accused of plotting terror attacks, notably against the parliament.

The Qatargate corruption scandal in Europe is getting a lot of coverage in the papers, after a former MEP struck a deal with Belgian prosecutors to reveal crucial details. Also, German paper Die Welt publishes an investigation into how Bulgarian authorities provided secret aid to Ukraine, despite the country's pro-Russian ties.

Germany, which has so far refused to send battle tanks, is instead promising 40 lighter Marder infantry fighting vehicles. As the country producing Leopard battle tanks, Germany has the final say on whether any of those reach Ukraine.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was briefly detained then released during a protest in Germany against the demolition of a village to make way for a coal mine. Images of Thunberg being detained went viral, as many claim that she staged it. We tell you what journalists and local police on site told our team regarding these claims, in this edition of Truth or Fake.

The German and French Foreign Ministers, Annalena Baerbock and Catherine Colonna, are on a joint visit to Ethiopia. Their calls for solidarity against Russia are likely to receive a mixed reception on the continent: Several countries in Africa depend heavily on Russian support.

As the Ukraine Contact Group prepares to meet at the US Ramstein air base in Germany, NATO membes and alliance allies seem set to upgrade arms deliveries to Ukraine. This may include the German Leopard 2 battle tank.

US Defense Secretary Austin has said Germany would continue to exercise leadership, despite Berlin not yet approving its Leopard 2 tanks for delivery to Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin would not stand in the way if Poland decides to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out sending heavy tanks to Ukraine.