German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for Europe to unite in support of Ukraine, hours before arriving in Paris for a key summit of European leaders. It will discuss a common position on peace talks for Ukraine, DPA reports, quoted by BTA.
During an election rally in the city of Kassel, Hesse, Scholz stressed that it is extremely important for Europe to remain strong and united.
"We need this for the sake of Ukraine and for our own security," said the chancellor, whose German Social Democratic Party (SPD) is lagging behind in opinion polls ahead of the upcoming federal elections in Germany on February 23.
The summit in Paris is organized by French President Emmanuel Macron and aims to outline a European plan of action after days of contradictory statements by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The event will also discuss the US request to clarify whether European leaders are ready to commit troops for peacekeeping if a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine.
Among the participants in the meeting will be British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as the leaders of Italy and Denmark, who will represent the Baltic states.
Also present will be NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Earlier today, a spokesman for the German Defense Ministry said that Germany would not hesitate to send troops to Ukraine if a framework was created for this.
"If the framework is given, Germany would not hesitate", the spokesman said at a press conference, answering a question about the possibility of deploying Bundeswehr (German armed forces) ground troops in Ukraine. However, he stressed that it was still too early to talk about Berlin's specific contribution.