INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Germany's defence minister said he was open to sending German soldiers to Ukraine to help secure a demilitarised zone there if a ceasefire
were agreed with Russia, in remarks published Saturday.In an interview with the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Boris Pistorius also said
Germany should aim to spend around 3% of GDP on defence.United States President-elect Donald Trump wants members of the NATO military
alliance to devote five percent of their national output on defence, a demand that has already been rejected as too high by German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz.Asked about a possible deployment of German troops to help secure a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine if one
were agreed, Pistorius said, "We're the largest NATO partner in Europe
We'll obviously have a role to play."He said the issue would "be discussed in due time."Trump, who takes office on Monday, said during his
election campaign he could end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in fewer than 24 hours
His camp has since indicated that he needs more time.Discussions could nevertheless start soon, notably with a meeting between Trump and
Russian President Vladimir Putin.But Ukraine is not currently in a position of sufficient strength to start any peace negotiations with
Russia, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said on Monday.Pistorius said Russia was currently occupying "18 or 19 percent of Ukrainian
But despite nearly three years of war, it had "not gained more" than that and had suffered "extensive losses in its own army" in the
attempt.The United States claimed recently that Moscow had lost nearly 1,500 men a day in November.Asked about the contribution Germany
should make towards NATO defence spending, Pistorius said: "We should be talking more about three percent than two."Germany currently
devotes around two percent of its GDP to defence.On January 9, Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuffed Trump's demand for NATO members to raise
defence spending to five percent of GDP.For Germany, that would mean finding an additional 150 billion euros every year, he said.
