Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz said on Dec. 4 that any speculations about deploying German troops to ensure a ceasefire are irresponsible at this time.
The CDU/CSU alliance's chancellor candidate was reacting to recent comments by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who said that a deployment of German troops in Ukraine in case of a ceasefire should not be ruled out.
"The war in Ukraine continues, Russia continues to act cruelly against the civilian population," Merz said, speaking at an ARD program.
"We are all thinking about how to end this war. The question is how to achieve this," he added, saying nobody is asking a question about a peacekeeper deployment.
The comments come amid an escalating election campaign as Germany approaches a snap vote in February.
While Merz has criticized Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his supposed hesitance in supporting Ukraine — particularly concerning the provision of Taurus missiles — his views on troop deployment appear to be closer to those of the incumbent chancellor.
Speaking in Germany's parliament, Scholz ruled out the possibility of deploying German troops to Ukraine at this stage. He stressed that there is an agreement with Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on the matter, adding that the Green Party's foreign minister was giving a "diplomatic answer" about a future hypothetical situation.
The chancellor avoided a question about deploying peacekeepers after a possible ceasefire. Pistorius, Scholz's fellow Social Democrat, said there are still too many unknowns but did not rule out the possibility.
"If there is a ceasefire and if it then comes to the point where someone — whoever it is — plans to use military means to ensure peace, that would depend on the type of mandate, the scope, the requirements, and the acceptance by the warring parties," Pistorius said, as quoted by German media.
The comments follow unconfirmed media reports about the U.K. and France discussing sending its soldiers to monitor a ceasefire in Ukraine. European troops overseeing a peaceful post-war situation in the country were reportedly also included in a peace plan of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team.
Martin Fornusek
