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.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize....
A second aid ship carrying 10,080 tents provided by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has departed from Mersin Internation...
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainia...
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, outlined the country’s energy and gas sector developments at the 15th Türkiye Energy Summit in Istanbul.
A second aid ship carrying 10,080 tents provided by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has departed from Mersin International Port to help address the shelter needs in Sudan, where a humanitarian crisis is ongoing.
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country and European partners will soon be ready to present the United States with refined documents outlining a potential peace plan.
The United States Senate is set to vote on Thursday on a Republican-backed plan aimed at addressing expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment