German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would probably send troops to protect Ukraine if necessary, though he would not mention it in parliament.
Answering questions from MPs in the Bundestag today, he left no doubt that he would support Kiev. But the chancellor feared a toxic public debate at home over German boots on the ground. Rightly so, Germany is a country that is still struggling to get used to the idea that security is no longer something provided by the United States.
Markus Frohnmayer, a lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, asked Merz whether Germany would send troops to Ukraine.
Merz said, “There are questions in this world that are not as simple as you might imagine. This question is one of them.”
He said, “We are talking about security guarantees for Ukraine after the ceasefire that must be agreed with Russia. I would like to add that at least as long as I have a say in the matter, we will not repeat the mistakes of 2014 by exposing Ukraine to Russian influence without security guarantees.”
During Ukraine talks in Berlin earlier this week, Merz signed the Declaration of the Coalition of the Willing which hopes for a European force to ensure peace in Ukraine.
The fact that the far-right AfD is pressuring the chancellor to make concrete commitments before a ceasefire shows that German troops in Ukraine could almost become an issue for regional elections in Germany next year – a political risk for Merz.