German peacekeeping troops in Ukraine to be discussed “in due time,” Pistorius says

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has not ruled out the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces to ensure the security of a demilitarized zone in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

This comes as Donald Trump is set to return to power tomorrow, a shift that is expected to intensify international efforts toward peace negotiations. Ukraine continues to demand robust security guarantees from the West, which could include NATO membership or the deployment of European troops along the frontline.

“We are NATO’s largest partner in Europe. Naturally, we will play our role,” Pistorius told Süddeutsche Zeitung, adding that the matter would be “discussed in due time.”

Recent discussions between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have explored potentially deploying British and French soldiers as peacekeepers in Ukraine, should an agreement to end the Russian-Ukrainian war be reached. Macron first proposed sending European troops to Ukraine in late February 2024, though the idea initially failed to gain support among partner nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated support for such initiatives. Speaking in Brussels last month, he noted “positive developments” in discussions about potential peacekeeping forces. On 13 January, Zelenskyy revealed he had discussed deploying “partner contingents” with Macron.

“We discussed this in considerable detail with French President Emmanuel Macron. We are in talks with Poland and our Baltic partners, as well as with the UK,” Zelensky said.

He acknowledged that while discussions are ongoing with countries willing to contribute forces, it was too early to discuss specific details, including troop numbers.

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