BERLIN, December 28. /TASS/. Sending German military personnel to Ukraine as part of the conflict settlement should receive unwavering support from the population and should be implemented in coordination with Russia, rather than in opposition to it, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union party Friedrich Merz said.

Meanwhile, the politician did not express firm support for the idea of sending Bundeswehr servicemen to Ukraine. "If the conflict is resolved and Kiev needs security guarantees, this idea may be discussed, but only if there is an unequivocal mandate from the population." "I don't see that [unconditional support from the population] right now. I believe such a mandate should be negotiated with Moscow and not implemented in defiance of it," Merz told the DPA news agency.

He did not provide a clear response to a question about security guarantees for Ukraine, stating that "a ceasefire is still a long way off." The politician, who is widely considered the front-runner for the chancellorship in the early elections scheduled for February 2025, also emphasized that "there is no doubt that Germany will not be a party to the conflict in Ukraine." Meanwhile, he reiterated his disagreement with the position of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who opposes supplying Kiev with Taurus cruise missiles. According to Merz, these missiles could significantly "contribute to restoring peace in Ukraine."

The idea of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine after the conflict is resolved has been frequently discussed in Western media in recent months, with politicians also engaged in this debate. In particular, French President Emmanuel Macron stated in February that representatives from about 20 Western countries had discussed this idea but had not reached a consensus. In late November, The Economist cited sources, indicating that European governments had not yet seriously considered the plan to send European troops to Ukraine.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that the deployment of foreign military contingents in Ukraine would lead to extremely negative, possibly irreparable consequences. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the related reports from Western media as a "fake narrative" aimed at provoking and escalating the situation.