Germany’s Ukraine troop proposal sparks domestic backlash
Germany’s recent consideration of sending troops to Ukraine on the 20th August as part of a peace agreement with Russia has ignited heated debate among domestic politicians, with opposition parties strongly rejecting the proposal. This was reported via Algerian government-owned AL24 news.
The far-right AFD party, currently in an effective deadlock with the governing centre-right CDU/CSU alliance, sharply criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz 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 AfD have consistently maintained a pro-Russia stance throughout the Ukraine-Russia war, and have opposed German military support for Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict in spite of Germany’s broad support for Ukraine.
The socialist Left Party also opposed the plan, arguing that any peacekeeping mission should fall under the authority of the UN rather than NATO.
Jan van Aken, co-chair of the far-left Left Party stated ‘Ukraine urgently needs concrete security guarantees in case of a peace agreement with Russia. However, these should absolutely be decided and implemented within he framework of the UN’. He cautioned that NATO-led deployments on the Russian-Ukrainian border could increase the risk of escalation.
Following talks with US President Trump and European Leaders on Monday, Chancellor Merz expressed openness to Germany joining a potential peacemaking 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.
As the largest country in the EU, Germany have played a vital role in combating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through extensive military aid packages and by shaping the European Union’s diplomatic and sanctions strategy, with Merz being a key figure in recent Russia-Ukraine talks held on the 14th August.
Al24news, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
