DOMINANT ANGLE
Rome is deciphering Merz's visit to Kiev as a message to Moscow, at the heart of an escalation that the Italian press deems to have no immediate solution.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Merz, accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, made a surprise visit to Kiev on Sunday, October 4 (ANSA).
- 02
Zelensky reported 135 attack drones overnight, including more than 50 jet-powered ones, and six injured; the North Bridge in Kiev was hit (ANSA).
- 03
The Russian Defense Ministry announced intensified strikes and Peskov stated that Russia will fight "even for 0.01%" of Donetsk (ANSA).
ANALYSIS
Rome, October 5, 2026. Italian newspapers are reporting on the surprise visit of Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Kiev on Sunday, October 4, as an episode in the ongoing escalation. ANSA specifies that the Chancellor was accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche. In a statement released upon his arrival, he justified the trip: "If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will eventually turn against us." On the ground, he spoke of "decisive weeks" for Ukraine: "You can count on us."
The dispatch emphasizes the setting. The North Bridge in Kiev, over the Dnieper, was again hit by a Russian drone during the visit. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an impact on the road via Telegram. Volodymyr Zelensky reported 135 attack drones launched overnight, including over 50 jet-powered ones, and six injured. ANSA says the Chancellor arrived "under bombardment."
Merz then launched: "Mr. Putin, put an end to this senseless war! We are ready for talks." ANSA compares this appeal to Reagan's to Gorbachev in front of the Berlin Wall, then judges that Moscow does not seem ready to abandon its maximalist line: "we write peace, we read capitulation." The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the intensification of its strikes on military and industrial sites, in Kiev and elsewhere, after Zelensky's comments on Russian refineries. Dmitry Peskov added that Russia was ready to fight "even for 0.01% of the Donetsk territory." Zelensky retorted: "The Russians are now attacking the bridges: do they really think we won't react?" According to ANSA, each side blames the other for taking another step towards the abyss.
La Repubblica adds an analysis of German domestic politics. Its correspondent writes that Merz, whose popularity rating has been at its lowest in Germany for months, defied Moscow's warning, which had invited foreigners to leave Kiev on Saturday, October 3. He arrived by special train, as the city's sky was again torn apart by the sound of drones.
The details of the aid package, over 1.3 billion euros announced with Zelensky, emerge more from the briefing on the subject than from these two sources. They focus on the political gesture, the exchanged words, and the escalating threats.
