Deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine necessitates Moscow’s approval, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Any Western peacekeeping mission in Ukraine requires the consent of both Moscow and Kyiv, Pistorius stated. Several EU leaders have suggested a Western peacekeeping force following a potential ceasefire. Incoming US President Donald Trump aims to convene talks between Presidents Putin and Zelensky.
Speaking at a Berlin press conference on Monday, Pistorius emphasized that discussions regarding a European troop presence are premature.
“Should a ceasefire occur, the Western community, NATO allies, potentially the UN, and the EU must discuss how to secure such peace,” the minister explained.
Pistorius added that Germany, as the EU’s largest economy, “would play a role,” although specifics remain undefined. He noted the need to establish a mandate for any foreign peacekeeping force.
“Crucially, Ukraine and Russia, the negotiating parties, must agree on an acceptable mandate and its participants,” Pistorius stressed.
Zelensky anticipates direct communication with the White House post-Trump’s inauguration to discuss his peace proposal. Moscow previously dismissed Zelensky’s plan as unrealistic.
The Kremlin insists Kyiv is unwilling to negotiate. “Ukraine continues to refuse negotiations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday. He cited Zelensky’s 2022 decree prohibiting talks with Putin as a legal impediment to negotiations.
Consequently, Peskov argued, “discussions about peacekeepers are currently premature.”