Merz announces expanded German support during Kyiv visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv on Sunday, October 4, and announced expanded military assistance and funding for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while the two countries also advanced defence-industry cooperation. The visit took place as Russia continued attacks on the Ukrainian capital and amid differing accounts of the aid package’s total value and components. Merz travelled by train with Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and representatives of German defence and energy companies. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Ukraine needed support in the coming weeks. Germany’s announcement included military assistance and money for repairs to damaged energy infrastructure ahead of winter, but the reports did not provide a reconciled breakdown: they put the package at either about €1.35 billion or more than €1.5 billion, with different figures for its energy and military components. The announced military measures include support for interceptor drones intended to counter Russian attack drones.