German FM, Bulgarian leader stand against military involvement in Ukraine as tensions rise  

Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called the discussion about deploying a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine premature, stating that military personnel will not be sent during the active phase of the conflict.

She expressed her support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the issue, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Baerbock stated that no soldier would be sent to the hot war, emphasising that discussing the establishment of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at this stage is a mistake.

At the same time, she stressed that maintaining peace is a European responsibility. The decisions cannot be made behind the backs of Europeans. Baerbock also commented on the Russia-US negotiations in Riyadh. When asked if Germany could agree to the talks being held without Ukraine and Europeans, Baerbock firmly answered negatively. Europe, she added, must be confident and assert its own interests. 

This stance is echoed by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who firmly opposed the potential deployment of Bulgarian troops to Ukraine.

"If you recall, at the very beginning of the war in Ukraine, I emphasised that Bulgaria must not get involved in this conflict. Today, amid the collapse of the global security architecture, this issue has become even more pressing. As Commander-in-Chief, I am firmly against Bulgaria sending its soldiers to Ukraine in any capacity. I expect the government and the National Assembly [the unicameral parliament] to clearly and unequivocally declare that Bulgaria will not send its troops," Radev stressed during a brief press conference in response to a question from journalists.

European leaders convened in Paris at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron for an emergency meeting on Ukraine, where they reaffirmed their support for Ukraine but had differing views on the suggestion of deploying peacekeepers, as proposed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. After the meeting, Starmer remained committed to the idea of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.

"I'm prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there’s a lasting peace agreement," he stated. However, Starmer also emphasized: "There must be a US backstop because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again."

In addition to Starmer and Macron, who had previously indicated that such a possibility could be discussed, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen revealed that her country was open to the idea. However, she stressed that a "ceasefire is not automatically peace, and it's not automatically long-lasting peace." 

She added that the most crucial steps are to significantly rearm Denmark and Europe and to continue supporting Ukraine.

By Naila Huseynova