Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Kyiv and assures Ukraine of further help

Chancellor Friedrich Merz clearly defended the support for Ukraine, which is sometimes controversial among the German population. Aid to Ukraine, especially this year and before this winter, is in Germany's own national interest, said Merz in Kyiv.

Merz continued that this help might need to be better justified in terms of domestic policy. “I see these surveys, I hear these opinions, I take them seriously, even if I don’t share them,” said Merz. In any case, there will continue to be cyber attacks on data centers and data networks in Germany. “None of this will stop if we stop helping Ukraine,” said Merz. “And that is the political battle of opinion that we have to fight in Germany.”

“This is about nothing more and nothing less than the peaceful and free future of our country in the next few years, perhaps decades.”

The Green Party leader Britta Haßelmann has called for stronger action against the Russian shadow fleet. "Friedrich Merz's trip to Ukraine is an important signal, but signals alone are not enough," Haßelmann told the editorial network Germany (RND).

“If interceptor drones are promised now, that is the right thing,” said Haßelmann. At the same time, “the federal government must finally take decisive action against the shadow fleet with which Putin is financing his war.”

After Russian warnings, the ambassadors of Germany and the European Union have announced that they will not leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. “Amen – we are staying,” wrote the German ambassador Boris Ruge on Platform X.

He was responding to a contribution by EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová. She had also confirmed that she wanted to stay in Kyiv despite the danger: "Threats will not stop Europe's support for Ukraine. They just remind us why this support is so important.«

During his visit to Kyiv, Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the attacks and be willing to negotiate. “Mr Putin, stop this senseless war!” said Merz.

"We are ready to talk, we are ready to talk to each other about ending this war. But these barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop."

Merz said at the ruins of the Academy of Sciences, which was hit by drone attacks a few days ago: "These are daily war crimes that are committed here."

There are daily attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure as the country prepares for winter, said the chancellor, who was accompanied by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. »I appeal once again to the Russian leadership, to the Russian President: Stop this war! We can speak, but only when the weapons are silent, and the weapons must be silent," said Merz.

During Friedrich Merz's visit to Kyiv, the capital was again attacked by Russian drones. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that the roadway of the North Bridge was attacked again. The emergency services are already on site. Initially nothing was known about anyone injured.

Russia lost more ground in Ukraine than it gained in September, according to an analysis by the US Institute for War Studies (ISW). The institute said the loss was around 81 square kilometers.

At least two people have been killed in Russian drone strikes in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, according to regional authorities. The drones followed and hit two private vehicles. A passenger in one of the cars was seriously injured.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine wants to increase its attacks on Russian oil refineries. This is a response to a new Russian tactic of encouraging residents of Kyiv and other cities to flee by attacking infrastructure, Zelensky told Reuters in an interview.

Russia has again urged foreigners and employees of diplomatic missions in Kyiv to leave the city amid impending attacks. A previous warning was not heeded by everyone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. This means that anyone who stays in the Ukrainian capital is exposed to a “mortal danger from massive Russian retaliation.”