Kremlin Rejects Merz’s Position on Ukraine’s Security: Without Russia, an Agreement Cannot Be Reached

According to the Kremlin, security guarantees for Ukraine cannot be drafted without Russia’s involvement. The response came on Tuesday, following statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the matter.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said: “Creating security guarantees for Ukraine without Russia’s participation is impossible.”

He said Merz’s position placed European states on a “dead-end road”. According to Peskov, insisting on this approach would exclude them from the process aimed at resolving the conflict.

“Such statements mean that European countries cannot be part of the peace process,” he said.

The Kremlin’s position followed Merz’s press conference on Monday, held after a meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of countries supporting Ukraine.

The German chancellor spoke about Ukraine’s latest military results, stressing that they open an opportunity for establishing peace.

“Ukraine and its partners will decide how to shape our security guarantees, not Moscow,” Merz said.

The “Coalition of the Willing” envisages the creation of a multinational force, led by European countries and supported by the United States. This force would be deployed in Ukraine after the end of the war to guarantee the country’s security.

Russia has repeatedly stated that NATO’s eastward expansion poses a threat to its security, citing this as one of the reasons for its military intervention in Ukraine. The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected any plan envisaging the deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian territory.