German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the future German choices on direct military intervention in offering security guarantees to Ukraine will depend on various factors, including the nature and scale of participation from the United States.
Merz made these comments during an online session of the "Coalition of the Willing," convened by the French government on Thursday. The session gathered European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as per a government statement carried by Xinhua News Agency.
Europe is prepared to provide significant security assurances to Ukraine after a negotiated settlement is reached, Merz noted in the statement.
He emphasized that Germany is focusing on building its support by funding, equipping, and training Ukraine's military. "A decision on any direct military engagement by Germany would be taken at an opportune moment when the framework conditions are transparent," he further said.
Merz explained that such conditions would involve the size and type of U.S. engagement, along with the outcome of current negotiations.
He also underlined the need to pursue further towards a summit for peace with Zelensky in order to create a ceasefire.
On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 nations, predominantly European, have officially pledged to send troops to support a potential Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire, but not directly on the front.
At a press conference with Zelensky after the "Coalition of the Willing" summit, Macron described how the countries attending would create a "reassurance force" able to send troops into Ukraine or offer aid on land, by sea, or in the air.
He further stated that the participants, after the summit, had a call with U.S. President Donald Trump, and the United States is to decide on its contribution to Ukraine's security guarantees within days.
Zelensky received the announcement as a "concrete" step and emphasized that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, bilateral or trilateral, is "necessary" in order to move forward in peace efforts.
The declaration followed a virtual meeting of the coalition on Thursday, chaired jointly by Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The coalition, which comprises some 30 nations, primarily European, has agreed to extend security assurances to Ukraine.
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