Pistorius allowed deployment of German peacekeepers in Ukraine: we must take responsibility
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius believes that the German military could take part in ensuring the security of the demilitarized zone in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
The German minister said this in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), DW reports, Censor.NET informs.
At the same time, he noted that the issue of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine "will be discussed when the time comes".
"We are NATO's largest partner in Europe. So obviously, we will play a role and we have to take responsibility," Pistorius said when asked about the possible deployment of German troops in the buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia.
According to the head of the German Defence Ministry, the key is creating a level of security for Ukraine that would prevent a repeat Russian attack in a few years.
Pistorius also said that he would soon travel to the United States to talk to the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
"The nominee for US Secretary of Defence has not yet been confirmed. However, we are interested in a quick meeting and exchange of views in Washington in early February," Pistorius said.
The German minister also commented on his recent visit to Kyiv. He noted that in Ukraine, "there is nervousness, uncertainty about what might happen in Washington when the new US President Donald Trump takes office".
According to him, Ukraine now faces serious challenges, including the issue of mobilizing soldiers after three years of full-scale war.
At the same time, Pistorius was impressed by the fact that despite the fight against Russian aggression, Ukraine manages to be "more modern in some areas than some European countries". In particular, the German official cited the digitalization of public services and innovations in the development of drones as examples.
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 if an agreement is reached 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.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, assessed the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.
Italian Defence 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 for this are created, namely a ceasefire with Russia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that several countries are currently considering participation in a potential Western allied contingent in Ukraine. However, specific plans for the deployment of foreign troops are still under discussion.
