German vice-chancellor Lars Klingbeil on Monday said his country would “live up to its responsibility” in securing peace in Ukraine despite mounting unease back home about putting boots on the ground.
Klingbeil, who is also foreign minister and leads the centre-left Social Democrat party (SDP), said he was closely discussing with Chancellor Friedrich Merz how best to support Ukraine in the push for a peace process led by US President Donald Trump.
“It’s about Ukrainian, but also European, security,” Klingbeil said while on a visit to Kyiv. “Reliable security guarantees are needed to ensure lasting peace for Ukraine. We are coordinating closely internationally on this issue. Germany will live up to its responsibility.”