German Defense Minister Rejects von der Leyen's Statements on Deploying European Forces in Ukraine

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed his strong rejection today, Monday, of the statements made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding plans to send multinational European forces to Ukraine, describing these statements as premature and not legally authorized.

Pistorius made his remarks during his visit to a military factory in Cologne, where he emphasized that "these matters should not be discussed before sitting at the negotiating table with multiple parties," stressing that the European Union does not have any official mandate to deploy military forces in conflict areas.

Von der Leyen had stated in an interview with the "Financial Times" published on Sunday that Europe is preparing "very detailed plans" to deploy forces in Ukraine as part of security guarantees for the post-conflict phase, with American support that includes command and control systems and surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

Pistorius added that it is better to "not comment or confirm such considerations," referring to the need to exercise caution and avoid taking unilateral steps on sensitive issues related to European and international security.