By Sarah Marsh and Matthias Williams
BERLIN (Reuters) -Allied talk of sending European peacekeeping forces to protect Ukraine as part of a possible peace deal with Russia has sparked a backlash in Germany, a country still scarred by its militaristic Nazi past, even if the prospect remains remote.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signalled openness to German participation in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine while emphasizing that such a decision would require coordination with European partners and his own coalition.
He also noted that any troop deployment would likely require a Bundestag mandate, a challenge for a chancellor whose own appointment was only voted through on the second attempt. Russia is fiercely opposed to any troops from the NATO alliance being deployed and it is