German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has stated that the debate over deploying European peacekeepers to Ukraine is premature, emphasizing that no soldiers will be sent to participate in the ongoing conflict.
Baerbock made the statement in an interview with the German public broadcaster ZDF, in response to discussions ignited by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s unilateral announcement regarding peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The debate on potential peacekeeping missions in Ukraine gained traction after Trump’s comments, with both Trump and other high-ranking U.S. officials stating that American troops would not be part of any peace arrangement in Ukraine.
Baerbock further highlighted that maintaining peace is a European responsibility, asserting that any discussions on Ukraine’s future must include the participation of both Ukraine and Europe.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed similar sentiments after a meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss potential contributions from European countries to a peace agreement in Ukraine.
Commenting on the high-level U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, Baerbock expressed that this represents an opportunity for the U.S. and Russia to establish contact, but warned against overplaying the significance of the negotiations and potentially giving Russian President Vladimir Putin an advantage.
