BERLIN

Germany is considering deploying up to 200 soldiers, as well as drones, in eastern Ukraine to aid European security officials in monitoring the cease-fire on the border region, the German newspaper Bild reported on Saturday. 

The German Foreign Ministry did not deny the content of the report but underlined that no decision has been taken yet on deploying German drones and soldiers in Ukraine in support of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE.

“The German federal government, together with the French government, is conducting talks with the OSCE on ways to effectively support the organization in performing the assigned tasks,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.

“For the moment these are only exploratory talks. Nothing has been decided. Difficult legal and political issues have to be resolved before a possible decision,” the ministry said.

The Bild newspaper reported on Saturday that German armed forces (Bundeswehr) had already started preparations for a drone mission in eastern Ukraine to support the OSCE in monitoring the cease-fire and crossings in Ukraine-Russia border.

The daily reported that initial preparations are made for sending up to 200 soldiers, 150 of them for drone missions and 50 paratroopers to provide security. According to an internal report of the German Defense Ministry, the possible deployment of armed German soldiers in the OSCE mission requires a mandate from the Parliament.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told the Bild daily that a joint report by German and French military officials would be handed over to OSCE officials in the coming days.

A group of German and French soldiers visited Ukraine last month to study feasibility of deploying drones in Ukraine’s border region, days after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko authorized the use of drones by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to monitor the ceasefire.

 “Our common goal is the stabilization of the situation in eastern Ukraine, leading to a peace process,” von der Leyen stressed.

The German government has carried out extensive diplomatic efforts in the past few months to defuse tensions in the region and to convince both parties to agree to a cease-fire.

The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatist leaders signed a cease-fire agreement in September 5 after negotiations in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, with hopes of ending the five-month conflict.

However, separatists have organized frequent attacks to take over Donetsk Airport, prompting concerns that the fragile truce could break down.

Unrest in eastern Ukraine has torn the region apart since April, when Kiev launched military operations in the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk to restore government control after separatists had declared independence in the region.

www.aa.com.tr/en