Biden's unexpected pardon of Hunter dominated morning coverage, contradicting previous promises and drawing criticism from German media. By mid-morning, attention shifted to Scholz's surprise visit to Kyiv, his first in two years, promising swift weapons delivery amid reports of Ukrainian desertion problems.
The FDP crisis continued evolving as Strack-Zimmermann declined a top position, while economist Hans-Werner Sinn criticized government economic policies. VW's labor disputes intensified with workers striking in Wolfsburg, as Cavallo confronted the Porsche-Piëch leadership.
Evening coverage revealed Putin's party preparing for war's end through secret meetings, while ARD faced scrutiny over perceived bias against Lindner during Miosga's talk show. The day concluded with reports of AfD considering dissolution of its youth wing and Ukraine targeting Crimea with heavy rockets.