BERLIN, May 15. /TASS/. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that the deployment of Bundeswehr military personnel in Ukraine is not currently under consideration. "As of today, such a decision is not being contemplated," Merz explained to Die Zeit when asked about the possibility of Germany’s military presence in Ukraine. He acknowledged that historical considerations often influence policymaking, but noted that such reasoning could lead to different conclusions.
At the same time, Merz emphasized his preference for Germany to collaborate with European partners on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, rather than taking on a leading European role. "The long-term strengthening of Ukraine's Armed Forces will be crucial in this effort," he affirmed.
In related developments, U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg revealed that the United States is exploring a plan to resolve the conflict, which involves establishing a deterrent force west of the Dnieper River. This force would include contingents from four European countries: Britain, Poland, France, and Germany.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu issued a warning in an interview with TASS, asserting that the introduction of "peacekeepers," so-called, into Russia’s historical territories could ignite World War III. He pointed out that a "coalition of the willing" was considering plans to deploy a military contingent to Ukraine under the guise of peacekeepers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly emphasized that any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil - regardless of under what flag or capacity - constitutes a threat to Russia. Moscow has made it clear that it will not accept such a scenario under any circumstances.