The chancellor’s coalition partners insist the German military could only be sent together with US forces, the newspaper claims
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing resistance from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) over his plan to dispatch troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev, Bild reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, Merz backs sending the German military to Ukraine, but the SPD, which forms part of a ruling coalition, “as of now, will only support this if the US also takes the lead, providing its own troops.” Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump ruled out putting American boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Bild also noted that if Ukraine were attacked while German troops were stationed there, Berlin would be in “uncharted legal territory.” Merz also has to grapple with strategic questions such as how many European troops could be deployed to Ukraine, how air surveillance and air protection would be ensured, and how Ukraine would maintain its military capabilities.
Publicly, Merz has not ruled out dispatching German soldiers to Ukraine, but has said “the whole of Europe should participate” in potential security guarantees to Kiev. “It is not just about the territory of Ukraine; it is about Europe’s political order,” he added.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, however, has warned that Germany’s military capacity is already stretched to the limit. He noted it is currently the only European contributor with a combat-ready brigade stationed in Lithuania, and that simultaneously undertaking a mission in Ukraine “would probably be too much for us.”
Although Trump has ruled out deploying US ground troops to Ukraine, he has signaled willingness to offer an air support framework if Moscow and Kiev reach an agreement to end hostilities.
The Bild report follows the summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, as well as a visit by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several European leaders, including Merz, to Washington on Monday, with talks centered on settling the Ukraine conflict.
Russia has warned that any NATO or Western troop presence in Ukraine would be absolutely “unacceptable,” regardless of its form or potential scenarios.
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