German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine could receive security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5 following a ceasefire with Russia, describing recent diplomatic talks in Berlin as a major step forward while stressing that key decisions remain unresolved.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday evening, Merz noted discussions with European partners and the US had advanced significantly on how Ukraine could be protected after active fighting ends – even without formal NATO membership.
Merz said the latest diplomatic talks in Berlin had brought up “a clear step forward,” particularly regarding Washington’s willingness to join Europeans in providing post-war security guarantees for Kyiv.
“We have even discussed Article 5-like security guarantees,” Merz said, referring to NATO’s collective defense clause.
He said such guarantees could include securing a demilitarized zone between the warring sides and responding militarily to renewed Russian attacks. However, he emphasized that these measures are being discussed for the period after a ceasefire, not during active hostilities.
“So far, we are not there yet,” Merz said.
Asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rejection of foreign troops on Ukrainian soil, Merz dismissed Moscow’s objections.
“Putin has said ‘Nyet’ to many things. At some point, he will have to say ‘yes’ if this war is to end,” Merz said, adding that Ukraine would need protection in the postwar phase.
But skepticism over the concept has not subsided. Analysts in the US have warned that such arrangements would fall well short of NATO’s collective defense clause, lacking binding legal force and long-term credibility.
A Washington-based defense think tank warned that vague postwar guarantees may prove neither durable nor enforceable, especially if they rely on shifting political will in Western capitals.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov reiterated in an interview with ABC News on Monday that Russia definitely “will not at any moment subscribe to, agree to, or even be content with, any presence of NATO troops on the Ukrainian territory.”
Ceasefire terms clash with Kremlin as Merz endorses frontline freeze
Merz addressed the sensitive issue of Kyiv’s territorial concessions, saying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown openness to accepting the current front line – which Merz called the “contact line” – as a basis for a ceasefire.
That would amount to de facto recognition of Russian occupation, Merz said, but not legal recognition of territorial loss, which would contradict Ukraine’s constitution.
“The decision on territorial issues must be taken by Ukraine itself,” he said.
Merz said Kyiv is seeking strong security guarantees precisely to avoid repeating the mistakes of earlier Minsk agreements.
“At that time, Russia was trusted,” Merz said. “We know what came of that – at the latest since 2022.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin swiftly rejected Merz’s proposal for a Christmas truce. Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said Tuesday that Moscow would not agree to a temporary ceasefire, arguing it would only give Ukraine time to regroup: “We want peace. We do not want a truce just to give Ukraine a breather and prepare for continuing the war.”
Frozen Russian assets seen as leverage
Whether Ukraine can continue to finance its war effort – and avoid painful cuts to public spending that could undermine morale and its ability to defend itself – may be decided this week in Brussels.
EU leaders are set to meet on Thursday, Dec. 18, at a European Commission summit aimed at breaking a political deadlock over the use of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine, including through a potential reparations loan.
Merz described the plan as a key pressure tool against Moscow. He said the first phase – permanently immobilizing Russian assets in Europe – has already been agreed, preventing Russia from accessing them before the war ends.
Interest generated by those assets is already being directed to Ukraine, he said.
The second phase – using the assets more directly to support Ukraine, for example, through secured loans – still faces political hurdles.
“Legally, this can be resolved,” Merz said, while acknowledging political concerns, particularly from Belgium. He said those objections would have to be overcome.
Asked about the chances of reaching a political decision, Merz replied: “Fifty-fifty that we will manage it.”
US policy shift forces Germany to adapt
Merz described Washington’s evolving stance toward Europe as a turning point requiring strategic adjustment by Germany.
He said comments by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year helped prompt Germany to accelerate changes to its defense spending and military posture.
“We had to react,” Merz said.
At the same time, he said he is working to convince Washington that the United States also needs partners.
“If you look at US economic data alone, I can imagine the Americans eventually coming back and saying, ‘Shall we talk again about issues that benefit both of us?’” Merz said.