GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER BACKS TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO UKRAINE IF CEASEFIRE AGREED WITH RUSSIA
Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, expressed openness to deploying German soldiers to Ukraine to secure a demilitarized zone if a ceasefire is agreed upon with Russia. In an interview with the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Pistorius stated that as the largest NATO partner in Europe, Germany would have a significant role to play in such an effort. When asked about a potential deployment, Pistorius replied, “We’ll obviously have a role to play… the issue will be discussed in due time.”
Pistorius also emphasized the importance of NATO defense spending, suggesting that Germany should aim to dedicate around three percent of its GDP to defense. This is higher than the country’s current spending of around two percent, which has been the subject of discussion in recent years. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently rebuffed the demand by US President-elect Donald Trump for NATO members to raise their defense spending to five percent of GDP.
Additionally, Pistorius discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, pointing out that despite nearly three years of war, Russia has failed to gain control of more territory and has suffered significant losses. He noted that Russia currently occupies around 18-19% of Ukrainian territory.
The discussion of a ceasefire and potential deployment of German troops comes as President-elect Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and as Ukraine continues to face the ongoing threat from Russian occupation.
