German Leader Soder Opposes NATO Troops in Ukraine

By Staff, Agencies

Bavarian leader Markus Soder, a close ally of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has ruled out any NATO troop deployment to Ukraine, warning it would be seen by Moscow as the first step toward Kiev’s membership in the alliance.

“I find it hard to imagine NATO troops being stationed there. Russia would never accept that. It would be a precursor to Ukraine’s accession to NATO,” Soder told the Rheinische Post on Friday.

He added that Germany’s military is already “stretched to the limit, both financially and in terms of personnel,” making any deployment unrealistic.

His comments underscore divisions within Germany’s leadership. Earlier this week, Merz suggested that German participation could only be considered after a ceasefire.

“Until then, there will certainly be no troop deployments to Ukraine,” he said. “Then we will have to look at what the agreement with Russia looks like. This cannot be done against Russia, it can only be done with Russia”.

The debate in Berlin follows a Bild report in August that discussions over sending German troops had been shelved, especially after US President Donald Trump made clear that Washington would not commit ground forces.

German public opinion remains firmly opposed. An INSA poll last month found 56% against sending troops, with just 28% in favor. Skepticism is particularly strong in the east, where support for military aid to Ukraine is weakest.

Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO against deploying troops, calling alliance expansion one of the root causes of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Western forces would serve “no purpose” after a peace settlement, but if they entered Ukraine during active fighting, they would be treated as “legitimate military targets”.