EU civil war as Germany lays into Ursula von der Leyen - 'totally wrong'

Germany's defence minister has laid into Ursula von der Leyen over plans to send European troops into Ukraine. The president of the European Commission revealed on Sunday (August 31) that Europe is discussing plans for a multinational deployment to the war-torn country as part of security guarantees aimed at keeping the peace between Russia and Ukraine.

But Boris Pistorius told reporters during a visit to a Cologne ammunition factory on Monday (September 1): "Those are things that you don't discuss before you sit down at the negotiating table with many parties that have a say in the matter."

He added: "I would know better than to comment or confirm such considerations in any way, apart from the fact that the European Union has no mandate or competency whatsoever when it comes to positioning troops."

Mr Pistorius said: "I think it is totally wrong to discuss this publicly at this stage."

Ms von der Leyen told the Financial Times the deployment could see troops in their tens of thousands helping to secure peace along with backing from the United States. The plan was described as "pretty precise" by the Commission president.

President Donald Trump has indicated the US could provide a security guarantee but has ruled out American troops being deployed to Ukraine.

Mr Pistorius's comments come after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rebuffed Ms von der Leyen, saying nobody was talking about ground troops in Ukraine.

The issue of troop deployment divides opinion in Germany where a survey published in August found 49% of Germans surveyed backed German soldiers forming part of a European peacekeeping force. In eastern parts of the country, 45% oppose such a deployment.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the Trump administration is listening to the Kremlin's justifications for its invasion of Ukraine. He claimed Moscow and Washington have come to a "mutual understanding" about the war.

On the issue of possible postwar security guarantees for Ukraine to deter another Russian invasion, Putin said it seemed to him that there was an opportunity to find consensus. But he didn't elaborate.

While Putin reiterated that Moscow will not accept NATO membership for Ukraine, the Russian leader also noted he had never objected to Ukraine joining the European Union.

Russia faces possible punitive actions from Mr Trump, who has expressed frustration at Putin's lack of engagement in a US-led peace effort. He has threatened "severe consequences".

The US leader has made ending the three-year war one of his diplomatic priorities and hosted Putin at a summit in Alaska last month.