Ukraine will need a strong military after any peace deal with Russia, says Germany's chancellor. “It is the most important security guarantee”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Photo: Christoph Reichwein / AFP / Profimedia
Ukraine will need strong armed forces and solid security guarantees after any peace deal with Russia and should not have to hand over territory, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Underlining that both Ukrainian and European interests are at stake, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that guarantees are the subject of discussions with the United States and Ukraine, reports Agerpres.
“Ukraine needs strong armed forces, and if a peace agreement is reached, Ukraine will continue to need strong armed forces and credible security guarantees from its partners. The most important guarantee is a well-equipped Ukrainian army,” the head of the German government said in a press conference held alongside his Estonian counterpart.
“This is why we are also discussing the size of the Ukrainian army as a future target,” continued the conservative German leader, who added that it was premature to discuss any deployment of international troops.
European countries insisted that the upper limit must be 800,000 troops, rather than 600,000.
According to Friedrich Merz, Ukraine should not be forced to accept territorial concessions and the front line must be the starting point for any negotiations.
The Europeans' counterproposal to the American plan for Ukraine. What changes did they make to the document?
Unveiled last week, the US plan in its original form called for Ukraine to completely cede the Donbas region (consisting of Donetsk and Lugansk provinces) to Russia and reduce its armed forces. In addition, Ukraine would have been required to abandon its goal of joining NATO and limit the size of its military to 600,000 troops.
In return, Russia would have returned to Kiev parts of the occupied territories in Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces and would have accepted that Ukraine would receive security guarantees from the US and join the European Union, while the Donbas territories ceded to Russia would become demilitarized zones.
The American plan was significantly modified after emergency negotiations between the US and Ukraine, with the participation of European countries.
US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week to discuss this US plan with Russian officials.
What does the new peace plan developed by the US and Ukraine in Geneva propose / The 19-point project leaves important decisions pending / What's next
Putin demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces and threatens that Russia will continue the war otherwise / The first firm position on the subject of the US peace plan
