Europe 'far from' discussing foreign troop deployment to Ukraine, Merz says
Europe is "far from" discussing foreign troop deployment to Ukraine, as efforts focus on securing an unconditional ceasefire, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 17, Reuters reported.
"There is no reason to talk about (troops) at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end," Merz said during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
His comments come amid growing interest in a potential multinational force to monitor a future peace agreement in Ukraine, even as Russian strikes continue.
A so-called "coalition of the willing" led by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed the idea, emphasizing that a "reassurance force" would monitor an eventual ceasefire, not engage in combat with Russia.
Merz stressed that the next diplomatic step is to establish a viable framework for peace negotiations and determine potential security guarantees for Ukraine once a truce is in place.
The statement comes after peace talks held in Istanbul on May 16, which were the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since 2022.
The Russian delegation — composed of lower-level aides — reiterated maximalist demands including Ukraine's neutrality, withdrawal from all annexed regions, and an end to foreign military aid.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in direct talks, condemned the absence of top Russian leadership as a signal Moscow is not serious about ending the war.
Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed unconditional 30-day ceasefire in March. Russia rejected it and continued its attacks, including a record-setting drone attack on May 18.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier rejected the idea of deploying European peacekeepers in Ukraine.
"We cannot allow NATO's military infrastructure to get that close to our borders," Peskov told ABC News on May 11.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out sending American troops, U.S. officials have indicated Washington could support the coalition with intelligence-sharing and logistics.
European leaders continue to weigh next steps amid Moscow's intransigence and Kyiv's calls for stronger guarantees and tougher sanctions in the absence of a ceasefire.
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