Chancellor Olaf Solz has ruled out sending NATO ground forces to Ukraine, rejecting the idea floated by French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday. The same opinion was expressed, among others, by the Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius and the Minister of Economy Robert Hambeck and the whole of German politics.

“It also applies to the future, there will be no ground forces or soldiers on Ukrainian soil from European or NATO states,” Mr Solz said during a visit to Freiburg earlier today, indirectly responding to Emmanuel Macron, who said that sending Western troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out. Western soldiers, the chancellor added, “are not allowed – also by their countries – to actively participate in war activities.” Referring to yesterday’s meeting in Paris, he even pointed out that the opinion on this matter was “very unanimous” among the participants.

The same spirit was expressed earlier today by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), who, from Austria where he is on an official visit, ruled out the possibility of German troops being deployed in Ukraine. “Boots on the ground is not an option for the Federal Republic of Germany. Yes, I rule it out,” said Mr Pistorius after his meeting with his Austrian counterpart Claudia Tanner, who in turn spoke of a “worrying message” from the French president. Mr Pistorius also thanked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said there was no such plan. Emmanuel Macron’s statements “go in the opposite direction of what we need today, which is a diplomatic perspective,” said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Sulenberg. “There was no consensus on this yesterday in Paris and it is unthinkable to come out with an issue on which there is no consensus, provoking a debate that we don’t need,” added Mr. Sullenberg.

And Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) clearly contradicted the French president, even calling on him to increase his military support for Ukraine. “This (no. sending ground forces) is out of the question. That has always been the clear line, that we will not become part of the war and that means no German soldiers will go to Ukraine,” Mr Habeck said on the sidelines of a Green party event earlier today in Leipzig. “I will be happy if France thinks about how to offer more support to Ukraine. And if I can make a suggestion, it would be: give more guns. Do what you can and do it now, give Ukraine the ammunition and armor you can give it. It’s really time not to leave Ukraine alone,” added Vice-Chancellor Hambek.

In the same spirit, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Lars Klingbeil and the head of the Parliamentary Group Rolf Mützenich expressed themselves. “We take responsibility to ensure that the war does not expand,” Mr. Klingbeil told the German news agency dpa, adding that “Germany will not send any soldiers – either directly or indirectly – to Russia’s war against Ukraine in violation of international law”. The SPD leader also pointed out that “we should insist on consensus in the EU and NATO, in order to do everything we can to strongly support Ukraine, but at the same time we must also rule out any risk of becoming parties to the war ourselves.” . Mr. Mutzenich, for his part, clarified that “we will certainly not send German soldiers against Russia” and said that politicians should “express themselves in concrete terms and at the same time have the ability to consider the risks of escalation inherent in any war”.

“Germany certainly cannot share this assessment (of Emmanuel Macron), but what is impressive is that Macron is the accelerator and the chancellor is the brake. And this is fatal for Europe. What an image this is, for friends to hold completely different views. Putin will be very happy,” said Bundestag Defense Committee chief Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP). From the side of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU), the secretary of K.O. Torsten Frei also ruled out sending Western ground forces to Ukraine.