Pistorius calls to stop discussions on deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine

He said this during a working visit to Finland, FAZ reports.

"No one really wants ground troops in Ukraine. There is a discussion about it now, but there is a decisive line. So we have to stop it at this stage," Pistorius said.

On February 27, French President Emmanuel Macron said that sending NATO troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out in the future.

What about Taurus missiles

Pistorius emphasized that Germany is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters and the second largest provider of military aid after the United States. However, the country fears that giving Ukraine too powerful weapons will irritate Russia. In particular, the transfer of Taurus missiles is in question. With them, Ukraine could strike, for example, at Crimea, the German defense minister said.

"We always emphasize that long-range missiles will not affect the course of the war," Pistorius said.

He added that Germany will never cross one line: becoming a party to the war.

"That is why the Taurus has not yet been sent," the minister summarized.

• The intercepted audio recording, in which Bundeswehr officers discussed strikes on the Crimean bridge with Taurus missiles, was published on March 1 by RT propagandist Margarita Simonyan. On March 2, the German Defense Ministry acknowledged the interception of the conversation but did not comment on its content.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the audio recording, said that the "denazification" of Germany was "incomplete".
• Later, Pistorius said that the leak of the German officers' conversation about Taurus missiles was due to an "insecure connection" - one of the interlocutors used the hotel's mobile network or Wi-Fi.