CDU
The CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union / Christian Democratic Union) is a German centre-right political party founded in 1945. It is one of the major parties of the Federal Republic of Germany and a long-standing partner in federal coalition governments, including the grand coalition with the SPD. The party led the German government for many years, most recently under Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2005 to 2021.
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US ordered Starlink restrictions for Ukraine, Reuters reports; Trump denies involvement
In the night of October 13–14, SpaceX unilaterally imposed speed restrictions on Starshield satellite terminals used by Ukrainian forces, cutting off connectivity above roughly 160 km/h during a major Russian attack. Reuters, citing two US officials and one Western official, reports the order came from the White House, while The Telegraph says Elon Musk proposed the idea and Donald Trump agreed. Trump publicly denied both his own and Musk's involvement. By October 15 the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said operation in motion had been restored, though President Zelensky said the previous speeds had not returned and the cap was being lifted only gradually.
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Trump announces Russia diesel deal after Putin call; Ukraine and European leaders condemn move
On 9 October 2026, US President Donald Trump announced he had spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to lift US sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large-scale exports to American and global markets. The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 135 authorising the imports until 7 April 2027. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticised the decision, calling it a "weak" and "unfair and dishonest" birthday gift to Putin that gives Russia additional billions for the war, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the UK, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and US Democrats all condemned or distanced themselves from the deal. Talks between Ukrainian, US and European delegations in Miami ended early after the announcement, and a senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries would continue.
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Former German Chancellor Schröder celebrated Putin's 74th birthday in Moscow, drawing condemnation from Berlin and Brussels
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder joined Vladimir Putin at Putin's home on 7 October to mark Putin's 74th birthday, according to the Kremlin. The visit triggered sharp criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, senior Bundestag figures, EU leaders, and members of Schröder's own SPD, while some in the SPD defended the trip as a possible opening for mediation. Schröder travelled to Moscow in connection with the Russian subsidiary of the German Globus hypermarket chain, of whose supervisory board he is a member.
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German Chancellor Merz makes surprise Kyiv visit, announces €1.3+ billion support package and 15 bilateral agreements
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv by special train on 4 October for an unannounced solidarity visit, accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and roughly ten business leaders from the defence and energy sectors. He and President Volodymyr Zelensky honoured fallen Ukrainian defenders at the memorial on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, visited the National Academy of Sciences building hit by a Russian drone on 28 September, and announced a new German support package worth more than €1.3 billion alongside 15 bilateral agreements valued at over €8.5 billion. Merz called on Vladimir Putin to stop the war and announced that Germany, France and the UK would host a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Berlin in winter.
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Merz accuses Russia of supporting Germany's far-right AfD, offers no evidence
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech in Münster that Russia supports the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, without providing concrete evidence. The remarks came at the International Westphalian Peace Prize ceremony, whose 2025 laureate is NATO, and follow a sharp drop in support for Merz's CDU in two regional elections.