Germany is diverging from French and UK policies on supporting a European troop deployment to post-war Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on May 27, citing unnamed European officials.
While Washington’s commitment to Ukraine’s security appears to be waning, France and the UK—the two architects of the “coalition of the willing”—insist that their initial plan to station peacekeeping troops on Ukrainian soil “is still feasible.” Other nations, including Germany, are more skeptical. The United States still opposes the idea and has not promised the kind of security support European countries had sought for the project.
Participants in the negotiations said UK PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron continue to back the proposal to deploy troops. They say the measure is intended to preserve Europe’s role in cease-fire talks, bolster Ukrainian morale, and demonstrate Europe’s commitment for U.S. President Donald Trump.
One European official told the FT that the plan is “dead” because it is “preposterous without the help of Trump, and he’s not willing to provide it.” A French diplomat, however, told the newspaper that reports of the plan’s demise are “not only greatly exaggerated” but are “totally untrue,” adding that European nations are still working on the proposal “at normal pace.”
In the meantime, Germany has taken significant steps to bolster NATO’s eastern flank. In May 2025, Germany began deploying the 45th Armored Brigade, comprising approximately 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff, to Lithuania. This marks Germany’s first permanent foreign military deployment since World War II and is scheduled to reach full operational capacity by 2027.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that this deployment is a response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and aims to strengthen the security of NATO’s Baltic members.
While Germany remains committed to supporting Ukraine through military aid and diplomatic efforts, the deployment of German troops directly into Ukraine is not currently under consideration.
