A prominent political analyst has cautioned against Germany pursuing a unique path regarding security commitments to Ukraine, particularly as discussions surrounding potential guarantees intensify
Claudia Major, Senior Vice President at the German Marshall Fund’s Security and Defense Policy division, stated that if Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, genuinely aspires to European leadership, Germany cannot afford to diverge from a unified approach
Major highlighted that considerable effort is currently being devoted to outlining Germany’s potential contribution – including the possible stationing of German soldiers in Poland or Western Ukraine – but expressed a desire for equivalent consideration of pathways to end the ongoing conflict She characterized the current debate as a distraction from addressing the fundamental question of what concrete steps could facilitate a ceasefire
The discussion comes ahead of a meeting in Paris on Thursday, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, to explore security guarantees for Ukraine Speculation has recently focused on the potential deployment of troops from Germany and other European nations to secure any future agreement, should a ceasefire be reached Mr Merz recently dismissed such suggestions, stating that “no one is currently discussing ground troops in Ukraine
However, Major emphasizes that, at present, there are no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate a ceasefire or modify his objectives regarding Ukraine and Europe She asserts that a shift in Putin’s position is a prerequisite for any discussion about deploying European troops to uphold a potential ceasefire agreement