Western Military Presence in Ukraine Requires Russian Agreement, Says German Chancellor

Deploying Western forces in Ukraine as part of security guarantees is impossible without Russia's approval, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated, according to the Phoenix TV channel.

Photo: president.gov.ua by Official website of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A mercenary in Ukraine

Germany Outlines Steps for Troop Deployment

Chancellor Merz explained that forming and deploying multinational Western forces must follow a strict sequence: first a ceasefire, then security guarantees for Ukraine, and finally a long-term peace agreement with Russia.

"And none of this is possible without Russia's consent, which we seem to be far from obtaining,” Merz added.

UK and Russia Respond to Potential Troop Deployment

Previously, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Parliament will vote on sending troops to Ukraine only after a ceasefire is in place. He emphasized that deployment under the signed declaration would trigger a parliamentary vote.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that placing Western troops, military bases, storage facilities, or other infrastructure on Ukrainian territory would constitute foreign intervention, posing a direct threat to Russia and other European countries. The statement appeared on the ministry's official website.

Zakharova noted that these warnings have been repeatedly voiced at the highest level and remain fully relevant today.

Earlier, The Times reported that France and the UK plan to send up to 15,000 troops to Ukraine. According to the newspaper, these forces will handle equipment maintenance, train Ukrainian fighters, and build defensive infrastructure.