Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of a possible deployment of NATO troops on the country's territory
</p><div><p>Berlin should send troops to Ukraine as part of a possible peace settlement, according to Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party (EPP) – a political grouping with the largest faction in the EU Parliament. Brussels cannot rely on Washington to secure peace between Moscow and Kiev, the politician told Funke Media Group in an interview published this week.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected the idea of any NATO presence in Ukraine. It also cited the expansion of the US-led bloc to the East as one of the root causes of the conflict.
Kiev’s Western backers, including France and Britain, have occasionally raised the issue of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine during the conflict. The plan got new momentum earlier this month during talks in Berlin, where U.S. officials met with the Ukrainian delegation, the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and eight other European countries.
“We cannot seriously expect that Trump will broker a peace settlement with American troops alone. And when we talk about European troops, Germany cannot be left out of the equation,” Weber said. “After a ceasefire or a peace agreement, the European flag must fly on the sidelines [contact] line.”
He also claimed not “to see” the Russian leadership “follow the path of peace” and called on Kiev’s European backers to show strength.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is ready and willing to resolve the conflict peacefully, as long as the other side shows a similar commitment and the root causes of the crisis are addressed. On Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the conflict had been resolved “very close” but warned that Kiev and its European backers are actively trying to do so “torpedo” the peace process.
The Trump administration has not confirmed the extent of its support for the European plan. Weber also called on the EU to act independently of the US on security matters, prompting NATO head Mark Rutte to warn that creating alternatives to the bloc would not benefit European members.