Kremlin disputes German Chancellor Merz on Ukraine security guarantees

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated that Ukraine and its partners, rather than Moscow, will determine the structure of future security guarantees for Ukraine. This announcement followed a meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing,' which is planning a multinational force supported by the U.S. and led by European nations to be deployed post-conflict. Merz highlighted Ukraine's recent military successes as a potential window for peace. In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the remarks, arguing that security guarantees without Russian participation are impossible. Peskov claimed that such an approach puts European nations in a deadlock and excludes them from the resolution process. The Kremlin has explicitly rejected the possibility of deploying Western troops in Ukraine. Moscow has historically cited NATO's eastward expansion as a primary justification for its invasion of Ukraine.