War in Ukraine may last a long time, troop deployment not on the table – Germany's Merz

The Russo-Ukrainian war may go on for a very long time and the issue of deploying ground troops to Ukraine is not on the agenda for now, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.

Source: Merz in an interview with ZDF, a German public broadcaster, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The German chancellor said he is prepared for the possibility that the war in Ukraine may go on for a long time.

"We are trying to end it as quickly as possible. But definitely not at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation," he said.

According to Merz, the war could be over tomorrow if Ukraine capitulated, gave up, and lost its independence.

"But then, the day after tomorrow, it would be the turn of the next country. And the day after that, it would be our turn. That is not an option," Merz said.

The chancellor said security guarantees for a potential ceasefire are still being discussed and "many things" will only be possible once they are in place.

"No one is talking about ground troops in Ukraine at the moment," he said.

Asked whether he hopes a truce will be reached next year, Merz replied: "I have not lost hope that we can achieve this. But I am also under no illusions."

Background:

• Earlier, commenting on Russia’s war against Ukraine, Merz said that everyone wants it to end, but not at any price.
• Recently, Merz also said that diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine are still facing significant challenges.
• Most Germans believe that their chancellor cannot significantly influence the US president on issues related to the war in Ukraine.

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