The deployment proposal is intended to butter up Donald Trump as the EU has nothing else to offer, Andrey Melnik has claimed

Ukrainian diplomat Andrey Melnik, Berlin, Germany, October 12, 2022. ©  Michael Kappeler / dpa via Global Look Press

Debates in Europe about deploying troops from NATO countries to Ukraine are largely a ploy to win favor with US President Donald Trump, Kiev’s envoy to the United Nations, Andrey Melnik, said in an interview published on Sunday.

Moscow has ruled out any foreign military presence in Ukraine as part of a peace settlement. Speaking to Germany’s Stern magazine, Melnik dismissed the Western discussions as largely symbolic.

“Unfortunately, at the moment, this is a sham debate,” he said. “No German politician can seriously commit 5,000 or 10,000 soldiers” to Ukraine when there is no clear mandate for such a mission, he added.

“One reason the Europeans are bringing these troops into play is probably that they have little to offer Donald Trump in order to protect their own interests,” the diplomat stated.

Melnik noted that European NATO states have opted not to negotiate directly with Russia. With Trump pushing for a resolution, they can “at best ride along on this train and only try to cushion the situation.”

READ MORE: US generals involved in European plan to send 10,000 troops to Ukraine – WSJ

The diplomat is known for incendiary rhetoric during his years as Ukraine’s ambassador in Berlin from 2014 to 2022. He once mocked then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz as an “offended liverwurst” over his reluctance to visit Kiev and similarly criticized other German politicians skeptical of Ukraine’s stance. Melnik told Stern he “wasn’t always able to find well-considered words” while representing his nation and offered an apology.

Germany is part of the “coalition of the willing,” a group of nations exploring possible security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a truce with Russia. Like most participants, Berlin has ruled out deploying its own troops inside the country.