Germany and Italy say Europe is still focused on ending the war in Ukraine — not on sending soldiers.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made it clear: troop discussions aren’t on the table right now.
"The next step must be that the format for peace talks is made clear, as well as which security guarantees could possibly, one day, be necessary for Ukraine," Merz said. He added that those issues remain uncertain for now.
He continued, "There is no reason to talk about troops at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end ... these are the questions we are dedicated to now, and no others."
Merz and Meloni spoke a day after leaders from France, Germany, the UK, and Poland met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a summit in Albania. U.S. President Donald Trump also joined the discussion by phone and later confirmed he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Meloni wasn’t part of the Albania meeting — something Italian outlets say wasn’t an accident. Reports suggest French President Emmanuel Macron may have intentionally left her out.
Still, Meloni said Italy is willing to join any global effort to bring the war to an end. But she warned that cracks in Western unity would be dangerous.
"Western unity has been our greatest strength since the beginning of Russia's invasion," she said. "At a delicate time like this, it is important to set aside any personal (differences) that could undermine that unity."
Meanwhile, the EU is preparing another round of sanctions targeting Russia, after peace talks between Ukraine and Russia — the first in three years — failed to produce a ceasefire. Russia did agree to keep talking, but expectations weren’t met.
"Yesterday's talks in Istanbul ended below our expectations despite the extremely constructive positioning of Ukraine's negotiators," Merz said.
His cautious approach echoes that of former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also focused on peace negotiations over military involvement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shown openness to sending peacekeepers — but only if there’s strong U.S. support for European forces.
Russia, for its part, continues to firmly reject any NATO troops entering Ukraine.
Read next
17:13
U.S. strikes on Iran
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday voiced deep concern over the escalating tensions following the United States’ military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling on all sides to prioritize diplomacy over confrontation.
16:11
Bold and Brilliant
The Pentagon concluded a high-stakes press briefing Saturday afternoon following the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, outlining the scale and success of the mission while stressing the door remains open to diplomacy.
15:53
Türkiye
Türkiye has voiced strong concern following the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that the action could dangerously escalate the conflict and trigger a global crisis.
14:00
oil price
Global investors are bracing for significant market turmoil when trading reopens, with analysts predicting a sharp spike in oil prices and a flight to safe-haven assets following the United States' announcement of military strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities.
13:55
"Red Line" crossed
Iran’s top diplomat on Sunday issued a stark condemnation of the United States following overnight military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, declaring that Washington had crossed a "very big red line" and would be held "fully responsible" for the consequences.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment