The background to the debate is the request of Ukraine for security guarantees of the western partners in the event of a peace regulation with Russia. Ukraine is hoping for protection from the neighbor, who attacked the country militarily more than three years ago.
Such security guarantees amounted to “that one will help in the event that Russia does not adhere to a peace agreement with Ukraine,” said Wadephul on Deutschlandfunk. This is about “political and military support”.
According to the federal government, Germany wants to participate in such security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a possible peace regulation with Russia. Germany will be “naturally” committed to the security guarantees requested by Ukraine – but the type of German participation is only decided “if there is agreement on the great framework,” said government circles in Berlin. “The concrete decision of what the German contribution will be is made at a much later time.”
WADEPHUL assumes that in Germany demands for a participation of the Bundeswehr will be available in Ukraine as part of a “coalition of the willing” – especially “in view of the leadership role that Germany has now taken”. The Foreign Minister added: “Leadership always means taking responsibility.”
Models for the design of the securing of a peace regulation to terminate the Ukraine War are now being drawn up at the technical level, it said from the Federal Government’s circles. The targeted security guarantees would have to include four elements: a military presence on site in Ukraine, the monitoring of a peace regulation, the strengthening of the air defense of the country and the armament of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Bundestag’s military officer, Henning Otte (CDU), considers Germany to be involved in security guarantees for Ukraine as likely. “Germany is immovable alongside Ukraine and is a fixed security guarantee,” the CDU politician told the “Handelsblatt”. “Germany will not escape this responsibility.”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had left open after the summit in Washington whether Germany could participate in a peace operation with its own troops. It was “too early to give a final answer,” said the Chancellor. He would discuss this with the coalition partners. On Tuesday, Merz informed the Federal Cabinet in a telephone switch about the results of the Washington summit.
The SPD foreign politician Rolf Mützenich also said that it was too early for a decision on Bundeswehr participation. It is not yet clear, “what should the task be ultimately,” he said on Deutschlandfunk.
Left-wing boss Jan van Aken proposed a UN blue helmet mission in Ukraine to secure a peace regulation. He expressly warned of a NATO mission in Ukraine: “If Nato and Russian soldiers are directly opposite, there is always a risk of a very big war.”
With relief, it was taken in Germany that US President Donald Trump, in principle, became aware of the support of security guarantees for Ukraine on Monday at his meeting with top European politicians. This is “really a new quality that we have achieved in Washington,” said Foreign Minister WadePhul. He evaluated the outcome of the talks in Washington positively: “The Europeans were able to influence decisively.”
However, the Greens warned of premature optimism. “Substantially, nothing has happened,” said Greens outdoor expert Omid Nouripour the broadcaster RTL and NTV. His party called for an early special meeting of the Defense Committee and the Federal Foreign Committee.
