Berlin, Sep 5 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Germany's decision on any future direct military involvement in Ukraine's security guarantees will be influenced by the type and extent of the United States' involvement, among other factors.
Merz made the remarks during a virtual meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" hosted by the French government on Thursday, which gathered European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a government statement, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Europe is ready to make a decisive contribution of security guarantees to Ukraine once a negotiated solution is reached, Merz was quoted in the statement as saying.
Germany focuses its efforts to enhance its role in financing, arming, and training the Ukrainian armed forces, he noted, adding that a decision on any direct military involvement by Germany would be considered at an appropriate time when the framework conditions are clear.
He said the conditions include the nature and scale of involvement from the United States and the outcome of the negotiation process.
Merz also stressed the need to continue working towards a peace summit that includes Zelensky, with the goal of securing a ceasefire.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries, mostly European, have formally pledged to deploy troops as part of a future Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire, though not directly on the front line.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference following the meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing," Macron said the countries would contribute to a "reassurance force" that could deploy troops in Ukraine or provide support on land, at sea, or in the air.
He added after the summit, participants held a call with US President Donald Trump and the United States is expected to finalize its contributions to the security guarantees in the coming days.
Zelensky welcomed the announcement as a "concrete" step forward and stressed that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whether bilateral or trilateral, is "necessary" for advancing peace efforts.
The announcement followed a virtual meeting of the coalition on Thursday, co-chaired by Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The group, which brought together around 30 countries, mostly European, has committed to providing security guarantees to Ukraine.
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