Trump's accusations against Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections" dominated morning coverage, while Putin signaled openness to negotiations through Riyadh channels. By noon, European leaders processed implications of potential US-Russia direct talks, with Macron explicitly rejecting combat troop deployment.
The afternoon brought multiple scandals: AfD faced questions over a 2.35 million euro campaign contribution, while Scholz confronted renewed scrutiny over Warburg Bank's Cum-Ex affair. Ver.di announced a nationwide transport strike for Friday, affecting six federal states.
The evening culminated in the final Scholz-Merz debate on WELT/BILD. The encounter revealed unexpected personal moments between rivals, with migration and coalition possibilities dominating discussion. Both candidates showed awareness of likely post-election cooperation needs, despite Merz's declaration that "Scholz's chancellorship ends Sunday."