A ‘false peace’ in Ukraine would not bring security: German foreign minister

BERLIN

Germany on Friday expressed strong concern over US President Donald Trump's direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine peace negotiations, which occurred without prior coordination among European allies.

“Nothing would be gained with a false peace - over the heads of the Ukrainians and Europeans,” Baerbock said in a statement. “A false peace would not bring lasting security, neither for the people of Ukraine nor for us in Europe or the US,” she warned.

Her remarks came hours before the official opening of the Munich Security Conference, where political leaders, defense and foreign ministers from over 60 countries were gathering to discuss international security issues.

Baerbock said European ministers would coordinate a unified policy on Ukraine and future relations with the US during their bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“Peace will only come through strength. This requires tough and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a strong NATO and progress in Ukraine's accession negotiations to the EU,” she said. “As Europeans, as Germans, we stand firmly by Ukraine's side - with military, humanitarian and financial support,” she added.

US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both attending the Munich conference, were scheduled to hold on Friday their first bilateral meeting since Trump's phone call with Putin regarding negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told his European counterparts in Brussels that the Trump administration considers a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders “an unrealistic objective.” He also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine and stated that any security guarantees offered to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement “must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.” He emphasized that US troops would not be deployed to Ukraine.