Germany rules out troops in Ukraine, pledges key role in peace efforts

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has rejected the deployment of German soldiers to Ukraine, saying the Bundeswehr is already committed to NATO territory and sending additional troops could overstrain the military.

“Doing that while additionally deploying troops to Ukraine would likely overstrain us,” he said, noting that Germany currently has a brigade stationed in Lithuania.

Speaking on the podcast Table Today, Wadephul emphasised that Ukraine requires security guarantees, which should be coordinated with European partners.

“The United States has indicated that it is willing to provide support. Now we need to see how this can be implemented together with the Europeans,” he said.

Wadephul also expressed cautious optimism about potential peace talks following the recent summit in Anchorage, which included Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The mere fact that these talks took place at this level shows that it is not easy for any of the parties to simply walk away and do nothing,” he said.

The minister suggested there is a real opportunity to discuss ending hostilities and negotiating a lasting peace.

In this context, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to travel with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. “He would not do so if he did not expect that there is a possibility [of progress],” Wadephul added.

By Aghakazim Guliyev