BERLIN, December 26. /TASS/. The head of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and its faction in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber (CSU), has advocated for Bundeswehr personnel to participate in ensuring a peaceful settlement in Ukraine under a European flag.

"Europe must play a responsible role when it comes to providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees. I hope that then we will talk not about national, but about European operational structures. I want soldiers with a European flag on their uniforms to secure peace together with our Ukrainian friends," Weber told the Funke media group.

The politician asserted that US President Donald Trump will not "ensure a peaceful settlement exclusively with US troops," adding that if there are European troops, "Germany cannot stand aside." He stated Europe "must take responsibility for Ukraine's security" and that "after a ceasefire or the conclusion of a peace agreement, the European flag should fly along the security line." Weber also expressed skepticism about a quick ceasefire.

On December 22, EU leaders issued a joint statement following their discussions in Berlin. They proposed that guarantees for Kiev should include the creation of a European-led, multinational force for Ukraine, assembled from interested countries as part of a ‘coalition of the willing, ’ with support from the United States. The statement reads that "this force will contribute to the reconstruction of the Ukrainian armed forces and the maintenance of Ukrainian air and maritime security, including through operations in Ukraine."

Moscow opposes the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine. On December 18, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated at a briefing that the deployment of Western military personnel in Ukraine "under any guise and in any format" is unacceptable for Russia. On August 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that ensuring Ukraine’s security guarantees through "foreign military intrvention in some part of Ukrainian territory" is not an option Russia would be willing to consider.