Until war is over, there will be no German soldiers on territory of Ukraine - Pistorius
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius admits the presence of German soldiers in Ukraine, but only under the condition of a ceasefire.
He said this in an interview with the newspapers of the Funke Media Group, Censor.NET reports citing ntv.
Pistorius believes that after a possible ceasefire, Germany could also play a role in Russia's war against Ukraine.
I want to make one thing clear: until the war is over, there will be no German soldiers on Ukrainian soil. The question will arise when there is a truce or peace - and when it is clear how it will be," the German Defense Minister said.
According to him, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing, but the approaching US presidency of Donald Trump makes the end of the war more likely.
"For example, will there be a demarcation line, a buffer zone or a peacekeeping zone where the armed forces will ensure peace? As you can see, there are still too many open questions to make a statement," Pistorius said.
He added that this decision will still be made by the German parliament.
"But one thing is clear: as the largest NATO country in Europe and the largest economy in Europe, Germany cannot stand aside and not participate in this process," the German Defense Minister added.
Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron would discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in the event of an agreement to end the current phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denied that Polish troops would be sent to Ukraine after the ceasefire.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas assessed the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto expressed his readiness to support a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine if peace is achieved.
In turn, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called these discussions "premature."
Germany, together with its partners , will consider the possible deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of "security guarantees" only after the conditions are created, namely a ceasefire with Russia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that several countries are currently considering participation in a potential contingent of Western allies in Ukraine. However, specific plans for the deployment of foreign troops are still under discussion.
