The blocs officials reportedly believe that Berlin could withhold troops for a possible monitoring mission

EU officials fear that Germany could "chicken out" and ditch plans to send ground troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, citing sources.

An unnamed EU diplomat cited by the paper warned that if Germany wants to remain a leading nation in Europe, Berlin "cannot participate in the planning for months and then duck out."

Moscow earlier signaled it would not accept NATO troop deployment in the neighboring country under any pretext.

The diplomat told the outlet that if Berlin limits its support to money, "the international damage to its image would be enormous."

According to Der Spiegel, Berlin is still committed to strengthening Ukraine's air defense and providing equipment for four mechanized infantry brigades, alongside continued training of Ukrainian soldiers and closer integration of European and Ukrainian arms industries.

In August, Bild reported that Berlin had shelved plans to possibly deploy soldiers to Ukraine. According to the tabloid, the proposal was dropped after US President Donald Trump made clear there would be no American boots on the ground.

Publicly, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Germany currently has no concrete plans to send troops, although the idea is not off the table. "Many questions can only be answered once we have at least a ceasefire. Until then, there will certainly be no troop deployments to Ukraine," he said.

The report comes after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries had pledged to contribute to Ukraine's security once a ceasefire is agreed. These countries promised "to deploy as a 'reassurance force' troops in Ukraine, or be present on the ground, in the sea, or in the air," he added, without providing details on the exact line-up or roles.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also accused Germany of "whipping up hysterical Russophobia on the European continent" while trying to play a "leading role" in that effort.

(RT.com)