Germany says detailed planning for peacekeeper deployment in Ukraine is 'premature'

The position of acting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was confirmed at a briefing on Friday by the press secretary of the federal government, Steffen Hebestreit, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The Chancellor's position on this issue is quite clear: He has always emphasized that he considers this discussion premature. We are still a considerable distance from resolving the conflict or reaching a peace agreement,” Hebestreit said.

Read also: Next German government to continue providing military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine – minister

According to him, once a peace agreement is reached, it will be necessary to assess what it will look like and under what mandates potential security forces could be deployed. Among other conditions, the speaker mentioned whether it will be ceasefire monitoring along a buffer zone “between two heavily armed armies” or some kind of UN “Blue Helmet” mission; which partner countries will participate; and how acceptable it will be for all parties. In addition, the chancellor emphasized several times that “a transatlantic security architecture is needed, so the Americans must also be involved, otherwise it will weaken NATO.”

Hebestreit also recalled that a mandate is needed to deploy the Bundeswehr abroad. This means that the German Bundestag must give its approval to this step. But the first step, the spokesman repeated, is to establish a fair and just peace, not an imposed one.

A government spokesman did not rule out that the issue of peacekeepers could be raised during a meeting in London on Sunday, March 2, which will be attended by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, heads of several other EU states and governments, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.

Britain and France have reportedly developed a plan to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine after the ceasefire agreement is signed and are seeking support from Donald Trump. During a joint press conference with Keir Starmer, the US President expressed the opinion that the deployment of American troops to support Ukraine would not be necessary and that British peacekeepers could cope on their own. At the same time, Trump assured Starmer that he would always be on the side of British soldiers if they “need help.”