Germany’s Merz experiences antagonism over Ukraine troop strategy
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is encountering pushback within his coalition over a plan that could see German soldiers deployed to Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached between Kiev and Moscow, Bild reported Thursday.
According to the outlet, Merz’s stance has sparked resistance from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which said it would only support such a move if the United States took the lead by committing its own troops. Earlier this week, however, US President Donald Trump ruled out deploying American ground forces to Ukraine.
German law requires parliamentary approval for any foreign troop deployment, and even then, legal restrictions limit what operations they may undertake. Bild noted that if German troops were attacked while stationed in Ukraine, the government would face “uncharted legal territory.”
Merz has kept the option open, arguing that Europe as a whole must participate in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, saying the issue extends beyond Ukraine’s sovereignty to the stability of Europe’s political order.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul cautioned that Germany’s military is already overstretched, pointing to the country’s role as the sole European contributor of a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania. Adding a mission in Ukraine, he warned, “would probably be too much for us.”
While Trump has rejected sending US troops, he has expressed openness to providing air support if Moscow and Kiev agree to end hostilities.
The debate comes after last week’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and recent talks in Washington between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Merz, and other European leaders, focused on efforts to secure a peace deal. Moscow has reiterated that any Western or NATO troop presence in Ukraine would be deemed wholly “unacceptable.”
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