Germany ready to send peacekeepers to Ukraine when time comes, Defense Minister Pistorius says

Germany is ready to send peacekeepers to Ukraine when the time comes, but Russia must also agree to it, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin, according to Reuters.

He noted that his country is ready to "play a role" in ensuring a potential future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but stressed that it is too early to talk about the format.

"If there is a ceasefire, then of course the Western community, NATO partners, potentially the United Nations and the European Union will have to discuss how such a peace, such a ceasefire can be secured. And it is obvious that Germany as Europe's biggest economy would play a role there," Pistorius said.

He did not specify the exact role that peacekeeping forces might play, explaining that this would depend on the terms of the ceasefire and the nature of the mandate. Pistorius also stressed that the adoption of such a mandate would require the consent of both Ukraine and Russia.

On December 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he might consider French leader Emmanuel Macron's proposal to station foreign troops in Ukraine until the country joins NATO. 

On December 11, Rzeczpospolita reported that Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk would discuss a plan for a European peacekeeping mission to protect Ukraine's sovereignty within the framework of a potential agreement between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On December 12, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump wants European troops to monitor a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

On December 16, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that peace must be achieved before deciding to send a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, noting that Russia does not want peace.