Surprise visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Kiev, just as the capital is under constant fire from Russian drones, which in the morning again hit the northern bridge over the Dnipro, full of cars.
“Ukraine is facing decisive weeks – declared Merz – I am therefore here to bring you a message: you can count on us”. Then he launched an appeal to the Russian president, similar to Ronald Regan’s historic appeal to Mikhail Gorbachev in the shadow of the Berlin Wall: “Mr. Putin, put an end to this senseless war! We are ready for talks.”
It’s a shame that the Tsar doesn’t seem inclined to abandon his maximalist line: it says peace but reads capitulation. “Following the statements made by Volodymyr Zelensky regarding our refineries, attacks by the Russian armed forces against military and industrial installations, as well as related infrastructure, in Kiev and other regions of Ukraine will be intensified,” Moscow’s Defense Ministry said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly escalated the matter: “We are ready to fight even for 0.01% of Donetsk’s territory and those who believe it is possible to harbor plans to deliver a devastating blow against Russia will pay the price, just like Ukraine is now.” In short, the conflict appears to be falling towards a whirlwind escalation and each party places the responsibility on the other for having taken one more step towards the abyss. “Now the Russians are attacking the bridges: do they really think we won’t react?” Zelensky retorted for example. “I’m really surprised by this unbridled desire to escalate the situation every single day: Putin is counting on it, he craves it.”
In any case, Merz didn’t just present himself with nice words. On the table he put one billion euros in military aid and 350 million for urgent interventions in the energy sector; he was also accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, given that the visit included the signing of several partnership agreements in the defense sector.
“Germany helps Ukraine but Ukraine also helps us. With its experience, for example in defense against drones, but also with orders for the German industry worth billions”, highlighted Merz, evidently winking at German public opinion and after the disastrous series of electoral results in the lander where the pro-Russian AFD triumphed. Unfortunately, Berlin cannot do more for the Patriots (it has donated what can be donated) which is now desperately needed.
If on the one hand Kiev now becomes the front, with the construction of 12 anti-drone turrets already underway, on the other the hope of a negotiated solution does not completely die given that the United States, Zelensky revealed in a press conference, intends to promote a new round of trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia “at a technical level” by the end of October.
Before the mid-terms, therefore. However, there is no great expectation in various well-informed diplomatic circles given that so far the couple Witkoff-Kushner has not produced anything useful (for Ukraine and Europe), quite the opposite. The escalation, however, has produced a tangible result for Moscow: those who can are leaving the capital to take refuge in safer areas of the country (videos of traffic jams on the highways are bouncing online, reminiscent of the darkest days of 2022). The one who is not moving, despite the threats, is the EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova. “Let’s stay in Kiev,” he chanted. “As with all other European embassies, we are in close contact.”
However, the Guardian writes, two senior diplomats have confidentially confided that contingency plans are being drawn up to relocate embassies to Lviv or eastern Poland – as happened in 2022 – if Russia begins to deliberately target foreign diplomatic missions. “The situation is worsening rapidly”, stigmatized the diplomat.