No signs that Putin is ready for peace with Ukraine, says German Defense Minister
Photo: Boris Pistorius, German Defense Minister (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of being ready to end the war against Ukraine. So far, the efforts of the US, Europe, and Ukraine have had no effect on him, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with Die Zeit.
"The only person who could immediately end the war is Vladimir Putin. Despite the efforts of the Americans, Europeans, and Ukrainians to achieve a ceasefire, there are no signs from Moscow that Putin is interested in ending the war," Pistorius said.
He also noted that the recent talks in Berlin were important. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear that Europe has a say in negotiations about Ukraine’s future.
"European partners in Berlin coordinated their positions with the US and Ukraine. That was important as well," the minister added.
Pistorius pointed out that the interest-free €90 billion loan approved at the EU summit in Brussels will help Ukraine cover its military needs over the next two years.
The German defense minister also commented on the possibility of sending German troops to Ukraine as part of "multinational forces led by Europe."
"For now, questions about how peace can be ensured remain hypothetical, since Putin is not even ready for a ceasefire," he said.
Putin’s threats
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia intends to achieve its war objectives in Ukraine by any means.
According to him, if the "root causes of the conflict" are not resolved during negotiations, Russia will use military methods to "take back its historical lands."
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Putin has effectively declared his intention to make the coming year a "year of war."
