Merz did not respond to a question about Germany's readiness to send military personnel to Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), did not answer a question about the possible deployment of German troops to Ukraine after the conflict was resolved in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper on April 12.

"It's part of this strategic restraint that I don't announce it publicly or categorically reject it," the CDU leader said.

Merz also noted that if Germany had initially actively supported Kiev, the conflict in Ukraine, in his opinion, could have already ended. Meanwhile, the CDU leader did not disclose the details of the German government's future policy towards Ukraine. He noted that "restraint in public statements and caution" are important in matters of foreign policy.

In addition, Merz did not answer the question about possible negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to him, the meeting may take place at a time when there is "clarity" about the possibility of holding a dialogue.

World champions from Europe: Moscow warned against deploying troops in Ukraine

What conflict resolution mechanisms can be acceptable to Russia?

On April 11, British Defense Minister John Healey announced that the institutions of the European Union (EU), as well as the head of European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, were not involved in planning a possible deployment of troops to Ukraine as part of the so-called "coalition of the willing" mission after a peaceful settlement.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on March 27 that Moscow was categorically against the deployment of so-called Western peacekeepers in Ukrainian territories, as this risked a direct clash between Russia and NATO.