During a surprise visit to Kyiv, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease his attacks on Ukraine and show a willingness to negotiate. In the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, the Chancellor stated: “Mr. Putin, stop this futile war. We are ready to engage in talks, we are ready to speak with you about the end of this war. But these barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop.”
Merz arrived in Kyiv by train earlier in the day. During his solidarity visit, the CDU leader is reportedly planning to assure Ukraine of the timely delivery of thousands of interceptor drones. His visit began with Merz honoring fallen Ukrainian soldiers at the Academy of Sciences, an institution that had been damaged by a drone strike.
Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian sources, a bridge in Kyiv was attacked by at least one Russian drone during his stay. Debris from the shot-down aerial object reportedly fell onto the roof of a residential building.
