German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has voiced scepticism about the idea of sending German soldiers to Ukraine as part of Western security guarantees against Russian attacks.
Such a move would “most likely overwhelm Germany,” the conservative politician said in the Table.Today podcast, describing the prospect as a “remote question.”
He said that Germany was focusing on protecting NATO territory, pointing out that it is the only European country to station a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania.
“That does not mean we cannot support Ukraine in other military and technical ways,” Wadephul added.
Wadephul reaffirmed Germany’s position that only Ukraine itself can decide if and under what conditions it might cede territory.
“It can only accept such a step if it can be sure the kind of Russian assault it has faced will not happen again — and that means security guarantees,” he said.
Wadephul also stressed that Germany’s leadership role in the conflict is primarily political. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, he said, had succeeded in uniting Europeans behind Ukraine despite differing national interests. “That was not always the case,” Wadephul noted.