Berlin has no plans to send troops to Ukraine, unless the US participates, a German government source told the French news agency AFP on Monday. This comes after US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth ruled out the deployment of American troops as part of potential security guarantees for Kiev.
Sigmar Gabriel, a former SPD foreign minister, said in an interview that a German involvement is “self-evident” for him. However, a German government source stated, “We will not participate in scenarios where European and American security diverge, for example, if European soldiers are deployed without full US involvement.”
Poland has also indirectly ruled out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. According to media reports, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, “Poland will support Ukraine as it has done so far, organizationally, financially and with humanitarian and military aid. We have no plans to send Polish soldiers to Ukraine.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the Ukraine conflict as “existential” announced on Sunday that he is prepared to provide troops to Kiev as part of “security guarantees” after the ceasefire.
Moscow has emphasized that a peace solution can only be achieved if the West addresses the “root causes of the conflict” including Ukraine’s plans to join NATO and the continued eastern expansion of the military bloc. Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebensia, said earlier this month that only the UN Security Council can authorize the deployment of peacekeeping troops and warned that Russia will treat all foreign military forces not supported by the UN as “legitimate targets.”
US President Donald Trump has promised to end the conflict quickly since the beginning of his presidency and has taken significant steps to restore diplomatic ties with Moscow, which were effectively frozen in 2022. Representatives of the US and Russia will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday to discuss the further development in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev will not participate in the talks in Riyadh and will not recognize any agreements made without its consent. Former SPD Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in an interview, “If the Ukrainian president is to agree to a ceasefire that leaves part of Ukraine under Russian control, he must at least get security guarantees that protect him from Russia trying it again in a few years.”
When asked if it is possible for German soldiers to be part of a “peacekeeping force” in Ukraine, Gabriel replied, “Of course. I don’t understand what there is to discuss.