Photo: EPA
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that deploying Western peacekeepers in Ukraine will not be possible without Russia’s consent, noting that Moscow’s approval of any peace agreement is still far off.
His remarks came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova again warned that any Western troops stationed in Ukraine after a peace deal would be considered “legitimate targets” and accused the coalition’s declaration on future deployment of being far from a real peace settlement.
Merz underlined that a clear sequence is required: first a ceasefire, then security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a long-term agreement with Russia. “All this is impossible without Russia’s approval, and we are still far from that,” he said.
As reported, following the January 6 meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing,” Ukraine, the UK and France signed a declaration on deploying multinational forces in Ukraine after the war — on land, in the air and at sea — while emphasizing that Ukraine’s Armed Forces, numbering around 800,000 troops at that stage, would remain the primary line of deterrence.
Other countries, including Canada, Spain, Lithuania and Turkey, also signaled readiness to send forces. The United States will focus on high-tech monitoring via drones, sensors and satellites. However, Politico noted that the declaration no longer includes a clause on a U.S. commitment to directly support peacekeeping forces if attacked.
