Merz urges Putin talks Ukraine aid pledged in Kyiv

Oct 4

Oman TV reports Friedrich Merz's call at a joint press conference in Kyiv for Vladimir Putin to stop the war and negotiate. Merz pledges one billion euros in military assistance and 350 million euros for Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia seeks to weaken Ukraine's resilience and force people to leave cities and promises a response. The aid is pledged, rather than reported as delivered.

During his October 4 surprise visit to Kyiv and joint press conference with Zelenskyy, Merz pledges further German support, condemns attacks on civilians and urges Putin to stop the war and negotiate. DD India and Oman TV report one billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for energy infrastructure; Tagesschau carries Zelenskyy's description of an overall package exceeding €1.3 billion with funding for interceptors against jet-powered Shaheds. Petersohn explains air-defence, winter-energy and budget needs, reporting a roughly 20-billion 2026 military-financing gap without specifying a currency and unresolved following-year funding. Zelenskyy's claims about Russian purposes and Merz's Leipzig attribution remain source positions. Aid is pledged, not delivered, and no budget gap is resolved. In the complete Bericht aus Berlin interview recorded during that same October 4 Kyiv visit, Merz says the accompanying Reiche/business delegation reached agreements worth more than €6 billion for German–Ukrainian joint ventures. He describes further procurement financing against jet-powered drones and German energy-company participation in winter assistance, but cannot yet quantify further needs. The business agreements are distinct from the separately reported military and energy-aid package and are not added together. He reaffirms Europe's prior 2026–27 commitment; neither completed delivery nor a resolved funding gap is established.