Maroc - ENG.UATV.UA - A La Une - 20/Jan 16:44

German defense chief says peacekeepers in Ukraine not ruled out

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius believes the German military could take part in ensuring the security of the demilitarized zone in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. This was reported by DW, Ukrinform saw. "The issue will be discussed when the time comes... We are NATO's largest partner in Europe. Therefore, it is obvious that we will play a certain role and must take responsibility," Pistorius said, answering a question about the possible deployment of German troops in the buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia, in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. At the same time, the German Defense Minister believes it is key to create a level of security for Ukraine that would prevent a repeated Russian attack in a few years. He also said he would travel to the United States soon to meet with the Donald Trump administration.  “The candidate for the post of U.S. Secretary of Defense has not yet been confirmed. However, we are interested in a quick meeting and exchange of views in Washington in early February,” Pistorius said. Commenting on his recent visit to Kyiv, Pistorius said he was struck by the fact that, despite the intense fighting, Ukraine manages to be “more modern in some areas than some countries in Europe.” He singled out the digitalization of public services and innovations in the development of drones as examples. According to the head of the German defense ministry, Russia currently occupied “18 or 19 percent of Ukrainian territory.” But despite almost three years of war, it “has not gained more” and has suffered “significant losses in its own army”. Regarding the increase in defense spending, Pistorius believes that in the medium term, German defense budget should increase significantly and exceed the current two percent. "We should be talking three percent rather than two," he said, answering a question about Germany's contribution to NATO defense spending. The German Defense Minister also called for long-term financial guarantees, including the creation of a "roadmap for the next 10 years." "The next generation will ask us: what did you do 10 years ago so that we could live safely in 2035?" he said, emphasizing the military threat coming from Russia. Donald Trump previously called on NATO allies to increase defense spending from two to five percent of GDP and demanded that European countries take on a larger share of supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Pistorius consider such demands excessive. For Germany, 5 percent of GDP would mean about 40 percent of the entire federal budget, the head of the Ministry of Defense explained earlier. As previously reported, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Kyiv on January 14 where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and other officials and businessmen. Read also: Angela Merkel: Ukraine will not survive without US and NATO support The post German defense chief says peacekeepers in Ukraine not ruled out appeared first on Freedom.