Germany Abandons Troop Deployment Plan to Ukraine Amid US Stance
Germany has decided to abandon its plans to send troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission, a move reportedly influenced by US President Donald Trump’s opposition to having US military forces on the ground in the region. The decision follows reports that Trump insisted the EU, not the US, should be responsible for providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed this shift in strategy, emphasizing that the current focus is on exploring alternative ways to support Ukraine, such as financial aid and training programs. He stated that discussions about troop deployment might resume once a ceasefire is in place.
The plan to deploy German soldiers to Ukraine had initially been floated by the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a group of Western states pushing for continued aid to Kiev. This group proposed sending NATO troops to monitor a potential ceasefire with Russia as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, despite Moscow’s consistent rejection of any Western military presence in Ukraine.
Trump’s stance on the matter, however, put a halt to Germany’s discussions about troop deployment “until further notice.” Sources told the outlet the idea could return “should Trump take action” or once Moscow and Kiev reach a settlement.
Instead, Germany reportedly plans to provide financial security guarantees to Ukraine. Sources claimed Berlin intends for the Bundeswehr to continue training Ukrainian soldiers, expand weapons production in Ukraine with German arms firms, and potentially cover part of Ukrainian soldiers’ salaries after a ceasefire to ensure Kiev maintains sufficient forces.
Kiev has demanded security guarantees from Western backers as a precondition for a peace deal. Moscow has not ruled out such guarantees in principle but rejects efforts made without its participation. It has also opposed any Western troop presence in Ukraine, stressing that NATO’s expansion toward its borders was one of the key causes of the conflict.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that guarantees must be the result of a settlement, not a precondition, and must take into account Russia’s security. She added that any deal should ensure Ukraine’s demilitarization, denazification, neutral and non-nuclear status, and recognition of territorial realities.