Germany Rejects EU Plans For Troop Deployment To Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed plans for a multinational European troop deployment to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees, supported by U.S. capabilities. She stated that President Trump reassured European leaders of an American presence as a backstop, including command, control, intelligence, and surveillance assistance, though Trump has ruled out sending American boots on the ground. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius strongly rejected von der Leyen's comments as premature and emphasized that the European Union has no mandate to deploy troops, urging that such discussions must wait until negotiations with Russia occur. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed this caution, noting that no talks of ground troops should happen before a Russian ceasefire commitment. Russia has explicitly opposed any peace deal involving NATO troops in Ukraine, complicating efforts toward a resolution, while Western allies continue to deliberate security guarantees and troop deployments with Ukraine. The contrasting positions highlight tensions within Europe and between Western allies on how to balance military support for Ukraine with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.