Germany’s consideration of sending troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement with Russia has ignited heated debate among domestic politicians, with opposition parties strongly rejecting the proposal. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, currently leading in national polls, sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance for entertaining the idea of deploying German soldiers alongside other European forces in Ukraine.
“The hawks in the CDU can hardly wait to send German soldiers to foreign war zones again,” AfD co-chair Alice Weidel said on social media, warning that such an “irresponsible” step could have “dangerous” consequences for Germany. The socialist Left Party also opposed the plan, arguing that any peacekeeping mission should fall under the authority of the United Nations rather than NATO. “Ukraine urgently needs concrete security guarantees in case of a peace agreement with Russia. However, these should absolutely be decided and implemented within the framework of the United Nations,” Left Party co-chair Jan van Aken said. He cautioned that NATO-led deployments on the Russian-Ukrainian border could increase the risk of escalation.
Following talks with US President Donald Trump and European leaders on Monday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed openness to Germany joining a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. He stressed that Germany bears “a great responsibility” to support such efforts, though final decisions would hinge on consultations with European partners and his coalition government. “It is absolutely clear that the whole of Europe should participate. After all, this isn’t just about Ukraine’s territory; it’s about Europe’s political order,” Merz said.
