Germany criticizes EU remarks on plans to deploy to Ukraine

Two top lawmakers from Germany's ruling coalition made a surprise visit to Ukraine.

Jens Spahn, the leader of the conservative CDU/CSU in the Bundestag, and Matthias Miersch, the Bundestag leader of the center-left Social Democrats, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held talks in the Ukrainian capital.

The two sought to discuss further German support and diplomatic efforts to end the Russian invasion. German parliamentary support is necessary for the country's policy in Ukraine, as parliament approves funding and would have a final say on any deployment of troops in the event of a ceasefire. 

Spahn and Miersch's visit comes as Germany's governing coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD seeks to project unity and reinforce its commitment to Ukraine's defense.

"We are grateful to Germany for its leadership in supporting our people, especially for the Patriot systems and missiles, and IRIS-T systems – all of which are saving the lives of our people. We also spoke about further bolstering the protection of our skies," Zelenskyy said of the meeting.

The lawmakers visited the site of last week's large-scale Russian airstrikes involving drones and missiles, assessing the damage for themselves. Spahn and Miersch also visited the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, which was the site of a brutal massacre of civilians by Russian forces, which Moscow denies took place.

The leaders of Britain and France will co-chair on Thursday a summit for the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

"Together with our partners, and in coordination with NATO, we will work to define robust security guarantees for Ukraine. These are a necessary prerequisite to move credibly toward peace.," French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X.

The summit is due to be held in Paris and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend, a source told the French AFP news agency, adding that US President Donald Trump is not expected to take part.

Leaders from some 30 countries, mostly European, will be in attendence. Some of the participants will join in person, others virtually.

The leaders will "discuss work on security guarantees for Ukraine carried out in recent weeks and take stock of the consequences to be drawn from Russia's attitude, which stubbornly refuses peace," the French presidency said in a statement.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was sharply critical of comments reportedly made by EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen regarding military security guarantees for Ukraine. 

In statements carried by British newspaper the Financial Times, von der Leyen said that "precise plans" are being drawn up for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine.

On Monday, Pistorius said he believed that publicly discussing such topics before Kyiv and Moscow sat at the negotiating table was "completely wrong."

"Apart from the fact that the European Union has no jurisdiction or competence whatsoever when it comes to the deployment of troops - regardless of for whom or for what — I would be very cautious about confirming or commenting on such considerations in any way," he told reporters during a visit to an arms manufacturer in Troisdorf, a small town near Cologne.

Pistorius nevertheless alluded to ongoing deliberations about "what might be possible, what might not be possible, and under what conditions and reservations something could even be conceivable."

Kyiv has lambasted the closing statement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit hosted by China for failing to mention Russia's war in Ukraine.

In a statement on Monday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said this omission in the 20-page declaration was "telling."

"It is surprising that the largest war of aggression in Europe since the Second World War is not reflected in such an important, fundamental document, while it mentions a number of other wars, terrorist attacks and events in the world," the statement read.

Kyiv stressed that sustainable global development, international peace and security, adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, or the stable and equal development of trade relations between regions of the world, all issues touched upon in the SCO declaration, could not be addressed properly without "a just end to Russia's aggression."

It also described the omission as Moscow's failed attempt to "portray the world as divided in its assessment of Russia's aggression against Ukraine," by showing that sympathy for Ukraine did not extend beyond the West.

"Given China's significant geopolitical role, we welcome Beijing's more active role in bringing peace to Ukraine based on respect for the UN Charter," Kyiv said.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an end to the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China. 

According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, Modi "reiterated his support for the recent initiatives that have been taken to address the conflict in Ukraine." 

Modi also highlighted the "need to expedite" an end to the conflict and "find a durable peace settlement," the ministry said.

What is India's stance on the war in Ukraine?

India has maintained a neutral stance in the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

New Delhi has supported peace initiatives, but it has refused to join Western sanctions targeting Russia's energy exports.

It has even become the second-largest buyer of Russian crude, after European nations severed ties with Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

Donald Trump has imposed hefty tariffs on India, ostensibly over its continuing trade relationship with Russia, as part of the US president's bid to bring the conflict to an end.

But rather than causing a rift, India and Russia's leaders "discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilisers, space, security and culture," Modi said in a post on Facebook.

An EU spokesperson condemned the suspected Russian GPS jamming of a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen en route to Bulgaria. 

"We have received information from Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this blatant interference was carried out by Russia," the spokesperson said. 

"We are well aware that threats and intimidation are a regular component of Russia's hostile actions," she added. 

"This will further reinforce our unshakable commitment to ramp up our defense capabilities and support for Ukraine."

Von der Leyen was travelling to Bulgaria on Sunday on a charter flight as part of a four-day tour of EU countries bordering Russia and Belarus.

EU diplomats described weekend talks in Denmark as a "brainstorming" session on what comes next in the bloc's support for Ukraine.

Some of the ideas that were floated in Copenhagen? Secondary sanctions, frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian arms made on EU soil and EU military trainers inside Ukraine.

Read DW's analysis on how the talks went on. 

Vladimir Putin has praised Turkey's attempts to mediate in the war in Ukraine, during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Putin met with Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

"I'm confident that Turkey's special role in these matters will continue to be in demand," the Russian president said. 

Erdogan, for his part, told Putin that Turkey wants a "fair and lasting peace" in Ukraine, according to the Turkish presidency.

He also said that he believes ceasefire talks held in Istanbul "are contributing to peace."

Turkey has hosted three rounds of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

While none of those meetings have resulted in a peace agreement or ceasefire, both sides did agree to prisoner of war (POW) swaps and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers.

Putin also praised Turkey as a "strategic" partner in bilateral cooperation, particularly in energy. 

"Our focus is also on topics of common interest, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and Transcaucasia. Russian-Turkish cooperation in all these areas is well-established, concrete, useful, and, I would say, trusting," Putin said, according to Russian state media.

Ukrainian police suspect Russia was involved in the recent assassination of former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy.

Parubiy, who was a vocal proponent of Ukraine's independence and sovereignty, was murdered in broad daylight in the western city of Lviv on Saturday.

"We know that this crime was not accidental. There is a Russian involvement. Everyone will be held accountable before the law," police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a suspect in the deadly shooting had been detained. 

Zelenskyy said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and the head of the country's Security Service Vasyl Maliuk had informed him of the apprehension of the suspect.

"All the circumstances of this horrendous murder must be clarified," Zelenskyy said on X.

Unverified video circulating in Ukrainian media appears to show the alleged assailant, who was on a bicycle dressed as a food delivery courier, shooting Parubiy before fleeing the scene. 

No information has been released on the suspect's identity or motive.

Parubiy, 54, was a prominent figure in Ukraine's pro-democracy protests in 2004 and the Maidan protests in 2013.

The parliamentary leaders of the two parties in Germany's ruling coalition were in Kyiv on Monday.

Jens Spahn of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and Matthias Miersch of the Social Democrats  (SPD) were in the Ukrainian capital to display cross-party solidarity.

Spahn and Miersch will hold talks with Ukrainian authorities on Germany's continued support for the country, as well as the state of diplomatic efforts to end the war.

On the train from Poland to Kyiv, Spahn told reporters that their visit is proof that the German government, parliament and coalition parties all stand firmly with Ukraine. Miersch called the visit a "clear signal of support."

Spahn added that the trip was a clear message to the Kremlin that Germany is willing and prepared to continue backing Ukraine with military support.

The CDU/CSU leader also accused Vladimir Putin of wanting to continue the war and of refusing peace attempts.

German lawmakers stop over in Rzeszow, Poland

Ukraine's airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, so foreign visitors must travel by rail or road via Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania or Moldova.

On their way, the parliamentarians stopped in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow to meet German troops who operate Patriot air defense systems protecting the airport, which is a key hub for deliveries of Western weapons to Ukraine.

Poland borders both Ukraine and Russia and is the most populous state on NATO's eastern flank, which the military alliance has aimed to bolster since the start of the war.

Vladimir Putin also discussed last month's summit in Alaska with US President Donald Trump.

Held under the slogan "Pursuing Peace," the highly anticipated meeting, which came after Trump escalated pressure on his Russian counterpart, did not result in a ceasefire agreement as Washington had hoped.

While the fighting has continued in the weeks since that meeting, Putin told the SCO on Monday that "understandings" that could pave the way to peace had been reached in Alaska.

"In this regard, we highly appreciate the efforts and proposals from China and India aimed at facilitating the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis," Putin said in Tianjin. 

The Russian leader added that he hopes the "understandings reached" at the meeting in Alaska "also contribute toward this goal."

Although the Alaska summit was held amid significant fanfare, it failed to produce any meaningful agreements or progress towards a ceasefire.
 

Vladimir Putin, who is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, has defended his invasion of Ukraine.

Although the West has largely shunned Putin and Moscow since it launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, Russia still counts on support from allies in Asia, many of whom are also taking part in the SCO meeting in Tianjin.

Addressing the summit, the Russian president repeated his unfounded claim that the war in Ukraine was triggered by a "coup d'etat" in Kyiv that was "supported and provoked by the West."

Putin was referring to the pro-Europe and anti-Moscow protests that swept Ukraine in 2013 which culminated in the removal of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovich.

Shortly after his ouster, Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine.

"The second reason for the crisis is the West's constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO," Putin added.

Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelenskyy wants to join the Western alliance to protect against Russian aggression.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that the war in Ukraine could still last for some time.

In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF, Merz stressed that seeking to bring a quick end to war at Ukraine's expense was not an option.

"We are trying to end it as quickly as possible but certainly not at the price of Ukraine's capitulation," he said. "You could end the war tomorrow if Ukraine surrendered and lost its independence."

"Then the next country would be at risk the day after tomorrow and the day after that, it would be us. That is not an option."

Although he said he had not lost hope on a ceasefire being agreed, Merz explained he "harbors no illusions" as to that prospect.

Since May, there have been several attempts to halt the fighting through a ceasefire — including a historic summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — but none have managed to yield an agreement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told British newspaper the Financial Times that "precise plans" are being drawn up for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine.

The force would be part of security guarantees for the country following the end of the war with Russia, which would be backed by the United States, she said.

Potentially tens of thousands of troops would receive assistance, including intelligence and surveillance assets from Washington, according to the report.

"President Trump reassured us that there will be (an) American presence as part of the backstop," von der Leyen told the FT.

She added the US assurances of support "was very clear and repeatedly affirmed"

The arrangements, she said, were agreed upon during a meeting between US President Donald Trump,  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders in August. 
 

Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine. 

Concrete plans are being drawn up by the EU on multinational troop deployments as part of security agreements following the end of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told German public broadcaster ZDF that he is not hopeful about seeing an end to the war in 2025.