Metin Hakverdi, Germany’s transatlantic policy coordinator, said he does not rule out a possible deployment of German troops as part of security guarantees for Ukraine. “We must not close off any options, otherwise we would limit the negotiation” the SPD politician told “Politico”.
He also reminded that Europe remains heavily dependent on the United States, especially in the context of the Ukraine crisis. “That is the dilemma we face” he added. “Europe needs to pursue both cooperation where possible and a clear stance when the interests diverge”.
Regarding the broader transatlantic relationship, Hakverdi stressed that a break is not imminent, but tensions persist. He referred to an earlier “stress test” and said the strain will likely continue, particularly when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits the Munich Security Conference. General conflicts are “quite likely” to be discussed there.
Hakverdi expressed doubts that the United States will avoid a confrontational tone. He noted that importing the cultural clash from the U.S. to Europe is not an isolated incident. “I don’t believe the American appearance will be completely free of that” he said, adding that he still hopes for “a few substantive points of cooperation within NATO” that could be more factual and constructive.
On Europe’s reaction to U.S. policy, he pointed to the unified response in several crises, most recently the Greenland situation. There, the EU acted as a “closed formation” including Britain and Canada, which he described as a turning point.