Poland open to German troops to help secure Ukraine ceasefire

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Wednesday that Warsaw was open to the possible deployment of German troops in Poland as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.

German soldiers have been stationed in Poland for years as part of various NATO missions, Sikorski said, adding that the presence of Bundeswehr troops on Polish soil would therefore be nothing new.

Sikorski was speaking after consultations in Paris with his French and German counterparts, Jean-Noël Barrot and Johann Wadephul, in the so-called Weimar Triangle format.

He noted that military cooperation between Poland and Germany was already well established. During a joint exercise several years ago, a German general commanded a Polish tank brigade, while a Polish general led a German brigade, Sikorski said.

The foreign minister also thanked Germany for deploying troops last year to help secure the airport near Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland, a key hub for military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz raised the prospect for the first time of Bundeswehr participation in peacekeeping operations — not inside Ukraine, but on NATO territory near the border.

Sikorski said that if a ceasefire were reached and a peacekeeping mission established, several countries — with France playing a leading role — had already agreed on preparatory measures in Poland.

He added that detailed planning would ultimately be handled by the military general staffs of the countries involved.

The German government said the talks in Paris had focussed on developing robust security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire and on Europe's contribution to long-term security.

The Weimar Triangle format was established in 1991 as a forum for dialogue by the then foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland.