German Foreign Minister does not rule out sending German peacekeepers to Ukraine

A German peacekeeping contingent may be sent to Ukraine after the end of the conflict to further settle the situation. Such a possibility was not ruled out on December 4 by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

"The period after the fighting in Ukraine presupposes the presence of foreign peacekeepers on the former front line. <...> Berbock does not rule out the possibility of sending Bundeswehr soldiers to former combat areas for such an operation as well," German TV channel Welt reported.

The German foreign minister also explained that along with security guarantees for Ukraine in the form of NATO membership, "an international presence to enforce the ceasefire" could be considered, the TV channel said.

Thus, Germany for its part will "support with all its strength" any action that will serve to strengthen peace," Berbock added.

Scholz's visit to Kyiv and prospects for peace in Ukraine. What the media say

Prior to that, on December 3, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Kiev considers NATO membership as the only possible security guarantee for the country. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine's joining the alliance was unacceptable for Russia because it was a threat. In his turn, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pointed out that the bloc was not discussing Kiev's invitation and was negotiating only about arms supplies.

A day earlier, the Ansa news agency reported that NATO foreign ministers would not reach an agreement on inviting Ukraine to the alliance at a meeting in Brussels, which is taking place from December 3 to 4. According to the mass media, they cannot make any recommendations on this issue until it is resolved at the level of heads of state.

Also on 2 December, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kiev and announced the allocation of €650m worth of arms to Kiev. The politician said that he wanted to "make it clear that Germany will remain the main country in Europe supporting Ukraine". Scholz arrived in Ukraine for the first time in 2.5 years.

He also posted a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the social network X (formerly Twitter), in which he noted that Germany's support for Ukraine was not weakening and would be provided "as long as necessary." Later, the chairman of the committee for public diplomacy and interethnic relations and the head of the Crimean German community, Yuriy Hempel, called the message shameful and not in line with Germany's national interests.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which Putin announced on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.