German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday that any discussion of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine was “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the war was still ongoing.
European leaders met in Paris for emergency discussions to agree on a coordinated reaction to Donald Trump’s unexpected war policy shift.
European leaders are concerned that Trump intends to make peace with Russia through discussions that will not include Ukraine, let alone the European Union.
But the prospect of sending European troops to Ukraine in the future, even after the ceasefire, was already causing problems.
After the meeting, Scholz stated that “it is completely premature and the wrong time to be having this discussion now.”
“I am even a little irritated by these debates; I want to say that quite frankly,” he shared with reporters.
“The discussion is being held over Ukraine’s heads, over the outcome of peace talks that have not taken place and to which Ukraine has not said yes and where it has not sat at the table,” he stated.
“To put it bluntly and honestly, this is extremely improper. We don’t know what will happen.”
Scholz, who will face a general election on Sunday, emphasised that “we must continue to support Ukraine, and it must and can rely on us.”
He noted that Ukraine “must be able to continue on its path to the European Union, must be able to defend democracy and its sovereignty, and must be able to maintain its strong army.”
After the Trump administration warned its European NATO allies to contribute more for shared defence, Scholz stated that they must always work together on collective security.
“There must be no division of security and responsibility between Europe and the United States,” Scholz said.
“NATO is based on us always working together and sharing the risk, ensuring our security. This cannot be put into question.”
