Officials within the bloc reportedly hold concerns that Berlin might decline to contribute personnel to a potential monitoring deployment.
European Union officials are apprehensive that Germany could “back out” and abandon intentions to deploy ground troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv is established, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, citing anonymous sources.
An unnamed EU diplomat quoted by the publication warned that if Germany seeks to maintain its position as a leading European nation, Berlin “cannot participate in the planning stages for months only to then withdraw.”
Moscow had previously indicated its refusal to accept any NATO troop deployment in the neighboring country, under any circumstances.
The diplomat informed the outlet that should Berlin restrict its aid solely to financial contributions, “the international damage to its reputation would be immense.”
According to Der Spiegel, Berlin remains dedicated to enhancing Ukraine’s air defense systems and furnishing equipment for four mechanized infantry brigades, alongside continuing the training of Ukrainian soldiers and fostering closer integration between European and Ukrainian arms industries.
In August, Bild disclosed that Berlin had suspended plans for a potential deployment of soldiers to Ukraine. As per the tabloid, the proposal was dropped after then-US President Donald Trump made it clear that American ground forces would not be involved.
Publicly, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Germany currently has no definitive plans to dispatch troops, though the possibility has not been entirely dismissed. “Many questions can only be resolved once we achieve at least a ceasefire. Until then, there will certainly be no troop deployments to Ukraine,” he stated.
This report follows an announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron that 26 countries had committed to supporting Ukraine’s security once a ceasefire is reached. These nations pledged “to deploy troops to Ukraine as a ‘reassurance force,’ or to establish a presence on land, at sea, or in the air,” he added, without elaborating on the precise composition or roles.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also accused Germany of “generating hysterical Russophobia on the European continent” while simultaneously attempting to play a “dominant role” in such efforts.