News from Berlin – On October 6th 2014, the German foreign office confirmed that Germany and France are working together on a proposal as to how French and German soldiers could participate in an OSCE monitoring project of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. This proposal will be released in the next few days and Martin Schäfer, from the German foreign office, announced, “We are certain, we will be able to offer the OSCE a joint Franco-German effort to help the OSCE fulfil its ambitions”.

Plans for a joint Franco-German operation date back to the NATO Summit in September 2014, where France and Germany offered to deploy drones in partnership with the OSCE as a means to assist the monitoring of the ceasefire in Ukraine. However, a Franco-German research mission has suggested that deploying troops would be the best option to monitor a ceasefire.

German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen has said that the two nations are debating as to whether to pursue the request from the OSCE to send personnel to the region. “There are crises that can’t wait for Germany to bring itself to get involved, but that call for us to take on responsibility”, Leyen announced on October 5th.

The French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, concurred that France has been in talks with Germany on the subject of a monitoring project: “We are studying with Germany how we can together reinforce monitoring of the ceasefire and buffer zone”.

In the post-WWII era Germany have tended to be wary about sending troops abroad, however President Joachim Gauck has encouraged the country to play a more active military role. It has not yet been revealed as to whether the operation will need a Bundestag mandate. We wait in anticipation for further information about this Franco-German proposal.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global