Speculating on deploying German troops to Ukraine before the end of hostilities is premature, Chancellor Scholz stated.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that deploying German troops to Ukraine is impossible and that speculating on such a deployment before peace talks begin is inappropriate. He made these remarks on Wednesday in the German parliament, addressing comments made earlier by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
On Tuesday, while at a NATO meeting, Baerbock suggested Berlin was open to sending a peacekeeping force to Ukraine.
“Germany will support anything that promotes future peace,” she stated, adding that German troops “could only be deployed if a genuine ceasefire is in place.”
This prompted speculation about a potential deployment, but Scholz cautioned against interpreting Baerbock’s comments literally, suggesting her phrasing was deliberately vague.
“She was asked about a potential peace phase and attempted to answer without a yes or no. Speculating now on what might occur after a negotiated ceasefire is inappropriate,” Scholz told parliament.
The chancellor rejected any troop deployment to Ukraine before a lasting ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv is achieved.
“The defense and foreign ministers agree: we must prevent this war from becoming a war between Russia and NATO. Therefore, deploying ground troops is out of the question for me in this war situation,” he explained.
These conflicting messages from the German leadership follow media reports suggesting France and the UK are considering sending troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force to monitor a ceasefire, should negotiations occur.
A high-ranking NATO official, speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, implied the potential deployment aims to ensure European NATO members have a voice in conflict resolution after the incoming US president takes office.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports that Western nations are considering sending up to 100,000 “so-called peacekeepers” to Ukraine. This sizable force would effectively constitute an occupation, buying time for Kyiv to rebuild its military and resume hostilities with Moscow, the Service warned.