German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday dismissed a proposal by Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), suggesting that a joint European army could serve a postwar peacekeeping role in Ukraine.
Weber has recently pushed a series of ambitious ideas aimed at strengthening the EU’s global influence, including deploying soldiers under a “European flag” and creating a single overarching EU leader, combining the roles of European Council and European Commission presidents.
Speaking at an informal EPP summit in Zagreb, Croatia, Merz acknowledged Weber’s efforts to reform the EU but stressed that these ideas do not address Europe’s immediate challenges. “We must focus on the tasks at hand right now,” he said, emphasizing the need to prioritize improving defense capabilities and boosting industrial competitiveness across the continent.
Merz warned that implementing Weber’s proposals would require complex treaty changes among the EU’s 27 member states and showed little appetite for pursuing such sweeping reforms at present. However, he left the door open on German participation in peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine, saying, “We are not ruling anything out in principle.”
Germany currently maintains nearly 5,000 troops in Lithuania and participates in air policing missions in Eastern Europe, highlighting its role as a regional security guarantor along the Russian border.
When asked about Merz’s skepticism, Weber emphasized that discussions are ongoing. “We are in dialogue. We are in discussion,” he said.
