German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has ruled out any deployment of Bundeswehr personnel to Ukraine at present, stating that such a step would only be considered after a ceasefire — and even then under stringent conditions including Bundestag approval and clarity on any agreement “with Russia, not against Russia”.
In a television interview broadcast on 2 September, Mr Merz said reports of “concrete plans” to send troops to Ukraine to police a future ceasefire did not apply to Germany and had not come from the European Union, which he noted is “not responsible” for such decisions. He said the focus for now is to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion and to shape credible security guarantees, both for the current phase of the war and any period that might follow a ceasefire or peace accord.
“We are helping the Ukrainian army to succeed against Russian aggression,” he said, calling that support “the most important security guarantee for Ukraine now and in future”. He added that any consideration of international forces on Ukrainian soil would be premature before a ceasefire is reached. After that point, he said, Germany would proceed only with parliamentary approval and after examining the terms of any Russia–Ukraine arrangement.
Mr Merz said discussions on security commitments are taking place within a “coalition of the willing” of more than 30 states, in which Germany participates. He indicated that this group would meet again on 4 September. He drew a distinction between that format and the EU’s role, underscoring that deployment decisions would rest with national governments and relevant coalitions rather than Brussels.
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The Chancellor placed emphasis on what he described as the immediacy of Russian hybrid operations against Germany and its allies. Citing recent briefings during a naval visit in the Baltic Sea region, he pointed to sabotage risks, cyber attacks and damage to subsea cables as examples of ongoing activity. “My main concern at the moment is how we can counter this threat,” he said, arguing that Germany must harden its resilience while sustaining military support to Kyiv.
On prospects for talks, Mr Merz said he sees no current incentive for President Vladimir Putin to seek a ceasefire. He argued that Moscow perceives advantage in continuing the war, referring to Russian territorial gains and to divisions in Western debates. “He will only be ready to negotiate if he benefits,” Mr Merz said, adding that leverage would have to be created. Militarily, he admitted, this is “difficult”, but he argued that economic measures can contribute to what he termed the “economic exhaustion” of Russia’s war effort.
To that end, the Chancellor backed tighter trade measures, including tariffs aimed at those who “still trade actively with Russia”. He connected this approach to broader transatlantic discussions, mentioning the impact of US tariff policy on German industry while framing the principal objective as constraining the Kremlin’s ability to sustain a war economy.
Mr Merz described Mr Putin as a “war criminal”, saying policy towards Moscow should reflect that assessment. At the same time, he repeated that any future arrangements to stabilise a ceasefire or peace would have to be reached with Russian participation: “It will only work with Russia, not without.” He characterised such an outcome as distant, with “many hurdles” ahead.
The Chancellor’s comments align Germany with a strategy of immediate military assistance to Ukraine, reinforced by longer-term security assurances and intensified economic pressure on Russia, while rejecting premature discussion of peacekeepers. They also reflect a growing focus in Berlin and other European capitals on countering hybrid threats at home as the conflict persists.
Asked directly about a scenario in which German troops might one day be stationed in Ukraine, Mr Merz declined to speculate. “Much is conceivable, but not at this time,” he said, citing the prerequisite of a ceasefire, a formal mandate and domestic parliamentary approval.
The interview also touched briefly on domestic matters, including the economy and social policy, but Mr Merz’s remarks on Ukraine set out the government’s current priorities: sustain military aid to Kyiv; coordinate security guarantees among partners; increase economic costs for Russia and for those enabling its trade; and reinforce Germany’s defences against hybrid activity. Any discussion of international forces in Ukraine, he insisted, belongs to a later phase — contingent on conditions that do not yet exist.
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