"We must be seeking to ensure that everything we do we do it together with the United States," German Chancellor said
"I am categorically against Europe’s unilateral steps on this matter. We must be seeking to ensure that everything we do we do it together with the United States," he said in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper.
He described this approach as the "basic NATO principle." "Anyway, I think it premature to speculate about what will happen after peace is achieved," he said, adding that it is up to Ukraine to decide "on which conditions it will be ready for peace."
At a meeting of top diplomats from the NATO countries in Brussels on December 3, 2024, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock did not rule out a potential deployment of German peacekeepers to Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities. She said that along with a potential NATO membership as a security guarantee, the issue of international presence to ensure the ceasefire observation could be looked at.
Commenting on the West’s ideas of sending foreign "peacekeepers" to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the deployment of NATO forces is categorically unacceptable to Russia as it would trigger uncontrolled escalation.
Proposals to send peacekeeping forces to the disengagement line between Russia and Ukraine after the end of hostilities have been put forth in the West earlier. A number of politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron. Reportedly discussed such a mission that could number up to 40,000 troops. According to media reports, the US President Donald Trump administration is looking at forming a mission of up to 200,000 from among European forces.
