Merz makes surprise Kyiv visit, pledges drone interceptors amid Russian threats

Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced trip to Kyiv on Oct. 4, pledging roughly 1,000 interceptors for jet-powered Shahed drones and long-range weapons support, accompanied by his economy minister and ten defense and energy executives. He said Ukrainians were refusing to be broken by Russian strikes and told President Zelenskyy Germany's support continues, framing the visit against Russian warnings that foreign diplomats should leave the capital ahead of anticipated large-scale attacks.

Ukraine's foreign ministry denied any planned evacuation of diplomatic missions, and the European Commission said Brussels has no intention of reducing support for Ukraine over Russian threats. Back home, Merz's governing bloc polled at 18 percent, a 1-point drop, while the far-right AfD reached 30 percent nationally for the first time, a 12-point gap described as a historic low for the CDU/CSU.

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