Scholz again calls talks on potential German peacekeepers in Ukraine premature

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reiterated his stance that discussions about the hypothetical involvement of German troops in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine are premature.

Source: Spiegel, citing Scholz, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Scholz stated that he considers debates about the possibility of German peacekeepers in Ukraine inappropriate "for now". 

Quote: "There will be no German troops in Ukraine as long as hostilities continue. After that, the focus of discussions should be on security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure that Russia does not attack it for the third time – after 2014 and 2022."

More details: Scholz also expressed confidence that it would be possible to negotiate a shared strategy regarding Ukraine with US President-elect Donald Trump, adding that nothing should be decided without the consent of the Ukrainians.

Background: 

• When asked about Germany's potential role, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Germany would "support anything that would serve peace in the future". Many journalists interpreted her answer to mean that she was open to German peacekeepers taking part if the question of such a mission by Western allies arose at some point in the future.
• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius responded less categorically than Scholz, commenting on the potential involvement of German troops in a peacekeeping mission, should such a question arise. He noted that if such a mission were to be created, Germany's role would depend on many factors and circumstances. 
• "It’s one thing to talk about the presence of troops now. It’s another thing what will happen when the fighting stops. We will have to discuss this when the time comes, but not without the consent of those involved in the process," said the defence minister.
• The idea of a demilitarised zone and European peacekeepers being deployed in Ukraine is supposedly in one of the plans that the advisers are thinking of offering to Trump to "quickly end the war", which triggered discussions about such a hypothetical mission after the information was leaked to the media. 
• Discussions about the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine were also sparked by the French foreign minister's statement that Paris had "no red lines" in its support for Ukraine. 

Support UP or become our patron!