Overview

• ZDF’s ‘Markus Lanz’ resumed on Tuesday, 26 August 2025 at 22:45, returning to its Tuesday–Thursday schedule after a four-week pause.
• Guests included SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch, RND editor-in-chief Eva Quadbeck, Bild’s Paul Ronzheimer, ZDF Washington chief Elmar Theveßen, and CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen.
• The discussion centered on the Ukraine war and security guarantees, with Theveßen saying recent summit talks produced nothing reliable and Quadbeck arguing Europe lacks the forces for large commitments.
• Miersch declined to rule out a future presence of German troops under multinational missions, citing too many unknowns about potential commitments.
• RND’s half-year review shows US- and Trump-focused topics dominating major talk shows, with Theveßen the most frequent guest, while ‘Markus Lanz’ remains a ratings draw and peer formats return in late August and September.