Germany not currently considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine

Germany and its partners will only consider deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of future "security guarantees" once specific conditions, including a ceasefire, are established.

German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said this at a briefing on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"This is perhaps the fifth step before the second. […] This issue has numerous prerequisites, the most critical being the establishment of a ceasefire agreed upon by both sides. […] At present, Putin continues his brutal war of aggression against Ukraine," the spokesperson said, commenting on Russia's latest large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy sector, which involved over 90 missiles and more than 200 drones.

Hebestreit reiterated German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's stance against the involvement of Bundeswehr troops in Ukraine's ongoing war. He added that decisions regarding post-war peacekeeping efforts would require careful discussion among Ukraine and its allies once the situation stabilizes.

He noted that Berlin had considered the statements made yesterday by the leaders of Poland and France in Warsaw, which indicate "a common understanding that this issue is not currently on the agenda for urgent discussion and decision-making but will be addressed in the future."

At this stage, Hebestreit emphasized, Germany continues to provide Ukraine with extensive military support. "We currently have nothing in our warehouses ready for immediate shipment to Ukraine," he said.

Hebestreit also confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the upcoming European Council meeting in Brussels, where he will hold bilateral meetings with European leaders.

On Thursday, December 12, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk clarified during a joint briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron that there are no current plans to deploy allied troops to Ukraine.