Ukraine needs strong army and security guarantees after peace deal, - Merz

Merz stressed that both European and Ukrainian security interests are at stake, which is why guarantees are being discussed with the United States and Ukraine.

"Ukraine needs strong armed forces, and if a peace agreement is reached ... Ukraine will continue to need strong armed forces and reliable security guarantees from its partners," said Merz at a press conference with his Estonian counterpart.

The most important guarantee, he noted, will be a well-equipped Ukrainian army.

"That is why we are also discussing the future target size of the Ukrainian army," Merz said, adding it was too early to discuss any deployment of international troops.

European countries insist that the upper limit for Ukraine’s troop numbers should be 800,000 rather than 600,000, Reuters reports.

Merz also stated that Ukraine should not be forced into territorial concessions and that the front line should serve as the starting point for any negotiations.

German assistance to Ukraine

Germany announced an increase in military support for Ukraine and the immediate allocation of 170 million euros in winter assistance to Kyiv. The goal, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in his 26 November speech to the Bundestag, is to demonstrate that Russia will not succeed in the war.

Merz also assured that Germany will maintain its support for Ukraine "at a very high level" in the federal budget for 2026.

The German chancellor noted that there is only one aggressor in the war in Ukraine. He added that the war "could end as soon as tomorrow" if Russia withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory.

Merz previously said that the full-scale war in Ukraine can end only if the conditions are acceptable to both Kyiv and the European Union.

According to him, the conditions under which the war ends will have consequences for the security of European countries.