The head of Germany’s Armed Forces Union, Colonel Andre Wuestner, warned that European NATO leaders must face the reality that maintaining a peacekeeping force in Ukraine will require tens of thousands of troops for an extended period, Reuters reports.
Wuestner stressed that leaders should not underestimate the military commitment, noting that a small command unit or a handful of generals would be insufficient to ensure security.
“From the outset, Putin must understand—and this should be backed by international forces—that we are fully committed to security guarantees, supporting Ukraine, ensuring a ceasefire, and responding if Russia attacks again,” Wuestner said.
European Commitments Under Scrutiny
While U.S. President Donald Trump has excluded the deployment of American troops, he is actively mediating peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have voiced support for sending troops as part of a coalition of volunteers, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaling possible German participation.
Wuestner emphasized that each major European contributor—Britain, France, and Germany—would likely need to deploy at least 10,000 troops for the long term. He highlighted that European forces are already strained and under-equipped.
“Europe remains far from being able to defend itself independently,” Wuestner said, calling for an urgent acceleration of armament and strengthening of NATO’s European pillar.
Urgent Security Imperatives
The union leader cautioned that quick ceasefire solutions appear unlikely and that European leaders must communicate serious and credible deterrence to Russia while demonstrating full support for Ukraine.
