German chancellor candidate and leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, said that Germany is ready to consider participating in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine only if an agreement is reached with Russia.
Points of attention
- The participation of German peacekeepers in Ukraine is possible only with the consent of the Russian Federation, said German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz.
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about progress on the issue of the deployment of peacekeepers and consultations with French leader Emmanuel Macron.
- Germany is considering participating in peacekeeping operations only with a mandate and consent from Russia, in order to avoid escalating the conflict.
- According to Friedrich Merz's statement, a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine will require a clear mandate in accordance with international law.
- The President of Ukraine welcomes the positive news and support for the idea of strengthening the peacekeeping mission in Ukraine from the leaders of other countries.
The participation of German peacekeepers in Ukraine is possible only with the consent of the Russian Federation
As Friedrich Merz stated, Germany's participation in peacekeeping operations is only possible if there is a mandate that complies with international law.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia's consent is a key condition. Without it, he said, such missions could prove ineffective and lead to an escalation of the conflict.
"If a peace agreement is concluded and Ukraine needs security guarantees, this issue can only be discussed if a clear mandate is provided in accordance with international law. However, I do not see such a possibility at the moment. I would like such a mandate to be adopted in consensus with Russia, and not in the context of conflict," Merz said.
Zelenskyy announced progress on the issue of introducing peacekeepers
According to Head of State Volodymyr Zelensky, during the meetings in Brussels, the idea of deploying a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine was discussed.
He also added that consultations are currently ongoing, facilitated by French leader Emmanuel Macron.
We discussed with Emmanuel his long-standing idea. We support the idea (of a peacekeeping mission, which means — ed.) strengthening Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
According to the head of state, he has already received positive news.
Emmanuel has had contacts with some leaders about this. We are in the process, but I see that there is positivity from some leaders.
However, the President of Ukraine is in no hurry to reveal any details yet.
