BERLIN – The German government has sharply criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stating she was "completely wrong" to publicly discuss the deployment of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, a matter for which Berlin argues the EU has no legal authority.
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| Ursula von der Leyen has been accused of acting beyond her remit - Inquam Photos/George Calin |
The public rebuke was led by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after von der Leyen revealed in a weekend interview that there were "quite detailed plans" for a multinational force. She had suggested that tens of thousands of European soldiers, with remote backing from the United States, could be deployed in Ukraine as part of a final peace deal to protect the country from another Russian invasion.
However, Pistorius forcefully rejected both the substance and the timing of her comments, stating that the EU has "absolutely no authority or competence when it comes to the deployment of troops" and that it was far too premature to be discussing sending soldiers.
"Apart from the fact that the European Union has no authority or competence whatsoever regarding the deployment of troops – no matter by whom or what – I will not confirm or comment on such considerations in any way," Pistorius said during a visit to an arms manufacturer in Cologne on Monday. "These are issues that should not be discussed before you sit at a negotiating table with many parties who have a say," he added. "I think it's completely wrong to discuss this publicly at this stage."
The criticism highlights a significant rift between Berlin and the EU Commission President, despite von der Leyen being a German national and a member of the same center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party as Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
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| Donald Trump invited Vladimir Putin to Alaska, his first visit to a Western territory since the Russian invasion of Ukraine - ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP |
Chancellor Merz himself issued a similar reprimand on Sunday, stating that "nobody is talking about deploying ground troops in Ukraine at this point." He insisted that public discussions about security guarantees should only happen after Russia agrees to a ceasefire.
The issue of troop deployment is deeply divisive in Germany due to its Nazi past and remains controversial in other EU member states like Italy. A poll last month showed German public opinion is split, with 49% supporting the idea of German troops joining a European peacekeeping force after a peace deal is signed. Skepticism remains strongest in eastern regions of the country.
EU's Limited Military Powers
As a former German defence minister, von der Leyen is well aware that the EU does not have the authority to deploy military forces, a power that rests exclusively with national governments. While the EU has had multinational battlegroups of 1,500 troops each since 2007, they have never been deployed. Any such mission would require a unanimous decision by all 27 EU member states, not a directive from von der Leyen's commission.
This is not the first time the Commission President has been accused of overstepping her authority. She was previously criticized by some governments for her strong backing of Israel’s right to self-defence following the October 7 terrorist attacks, with countries like Ireland arguing she had encroached on national foreign policy territory without prior consultation.
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| Boris Pistorius says it is too early to discuss sending troops to back Ukraine - Clemens Bilan/EPA/Shutterstock |
The debate comes as a UK-French led "Coalition of the Willing" discusses security guarantees that individual nations could offer Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to host another meeting of the group on Thursday, which will be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US, under President Donald Trump, has suggested it could provide a backup security guarantee but has ruled out an American deployment on the ground, expecting European forces to secure the peace.
