After the Ukraine summit in the USA – what can Germany contribute?

All participants agreed that the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere. US President Donald Trump had invited high-ranking representatives of the EU, NATO, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington. The mission: to create peace in Ukraine.

There is one concrete result to report: Donald Trump seeks a two-way meeting with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin . Afterwards, there will be a three-way summit, in which he himself will also participate, Trump writes on his online platform Truth Social.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his overall satisfaction with the summit. "It could have turned out differently, but my expectations were not only met, but exceeded," Merz said in Washington after the discussions.

However, a meeting between Zelensky and Putin would require thorough preparation, the Chancellor explained. "Whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit: we don't know. That's why we need to persuade him," Merz added. The meeting is apparently scheduled to take place in the next two weeks. There have been no clear signals from Moscow so far. The Ukrainian president declared his willingness to hold such a meeting with Putin "without conditions," meaning even without a prior ceasefire.

In an interview with DW, Rafael Loss, a security expert at the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), also draws a positive conclusion. He particularly praises European unity: "The way the Europeans spoke from the same page and made intensive efforts beforehand to coordinate the talking points and present them in a way that would be understandable and accessible to Trump is entirely positive."

A ceasefire first or immediate peace negotiations?

While the Ukraine summit did indicate a certain rapprochement between the US and Europe, it also became clear that the US and Europe have different visions of the path to peace in Ukraine. President Trump had aimed for a comprehensive peace agreement from the outset. He believes a prior ceasefire is unnecessary. "But we can work on a deal where we aim for a peace agreement."

The Europeans were quite different. Chancellor Friedrich Merz was particularly clear in his public meeting with Donald Trump. He vehemently called for a ceasefire – as a starting point for further negotiations. "Frankly, we all want to see a ceasefire," Merz said. He could not imagine the next meeting taking place without such an agreement. The credibility of further negotiations depended on this question.

In an interview with DW, security expert Rafael Loss explains that the different approaches of the US and the EU could remain a contentious issue: "There are obviously very different expectations about how to approach talks. Donald Trump is much closer to Vladimir Putin on this issue when he says we have to clarify the really big questions first."

Security guarantees for Ukraine – what could they look like?

Ukraine fears that Russia will continue its attacks even after a ceasefire or peace agreement is concluded. The American president remained rather vague regarding security guarantees. Trump said the Europeans are "on the front line of defense" in this regard. But Washington will also do its part, he added.

Assurances for Ukraine are being discussed, modeled on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty . In this treaty, the members of the defense alliance commit to supporting each other in the event of an attack, in the sense that "an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against them all."

The idea was promoted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who maintains a close relationship of trust with US President Donald Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized in Washington that while Ukraine's full membership in the alliance was not at stake, Article 5-like assurances were still on the table.

The sensitive issue of Ukraine's territorial cession to Russia was apparently not initially negotiated in Washington. Only Ukraine itself could decide that, it was said. Russia claims large parts of Ukraine as its own territory.

Peacekeeping troops for Ukraine – including German ones?

Security guarantees – this could also mean that Ukrainian troops are supported by soldiers from the EU or NATO , or that they secure a potential peace agreement. The question of whether the Bundeswehr could also contribute to peacekeeping is already being discussed. France and Great Britain have long been considering participation in a European peacekeeping force.

Whether Germany will participate remains open for now. It is "too early to give a definitive answer," the Chancellor emphasized. He will discuss this with the coalition in Berlin. This will also address the question of whether the Bundestag may have to make "resolutions requiring a mandate." The Bundestag, in principle, must decide on Bundeswehr deployments abroad.

A wide variety of security deployment models have been explored in the EU , explains security expert Loss. A realistic option would likely be training military personnel directly in Ukraine, with logistical support from the Navy or Air Force. However, Loss also says: "Ground troops would actually be a logical step, considering that Germany is the largest country in Europe. Germany already has a responsibility there. I think it would be a mistake to rule that out from the outset."

Adis Ahmetovic, foreign policy spokesman for the governing SPD party, also appears open to the possibility of the Bundeswehr participating in a future peacekeeping mission for Ukraine. AfD leader and opposition politician Alice Weidel takes a different view. She warned on X that Germany itself could become a target while the US withdraws, demanding: "Germany needs reconciliation with Russia instead of permanent confrontation." Left Party leader Jan van Aken suggested a UN peacekeeping force, an observer mission of 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers, as a security guarantee for Ukraine.

Germany – European leading power for peace in Ukraine?

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear at the beginning of his term in early May that foreign and defense policy were a high priority for him in the turbulent times of the war against Ukraine. It was he who organized a preparatory meeting for the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin last week. Shortly after his election as Chancellor, he traveled to Kyiv with other European politicians, attracting considerable media attention, to signal solidarity with Ukraine.

The first meeting with the American president at the beginning of June was also a success for Friedrich Merz, who apparently managed to develop a rapport with the American president. Even from opposition circles, there was much praise for Merz's advocacy of a decisive German foreign policy, something many had missed under his predecessor, Olaf Scholz (SPD).

Security expert Rafael Loss also assesses Merz's political actions regarding peace efforts for Ukraine as quite positive. "He certainly has a special kind of access to Donald Trump, as we have seen in recent months. But he sees himself in close coordination with his European colleagues, with whom he is jointly articulating a European line."