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First Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Trump misjudged influence on Putin, German defence minister says
Germany's defense minister said Trump misjudged his influence on Putin after a failed Ukraine peace call. The EU plans new Russia sanctions, with US involvement uncertain. read more German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks at the joint press conference on the day of the meeting of the European Group of Five Defence Ministers at the Italian Air Force Headquarters in Rome, Italy. (Photo: Reuters) (This story has been corrected to fix the day to Wednesday in paragraph 1) BERLIN:U.S. President Donald Trump misjudged his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany's defence minister said on Tuesday, after a phone call between the two leaders yielded no progress in Ukraine peace talks, prompting Europe to announce new Russia sanctions. 'I suspect he assessed his negotiating position incorrectly,' Boris Pistorius told the Deutschlandfunk radio broadcaster, following Trump's now-abandoned efforts to pressure Putin into accepting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European Union is currently working on its next package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Pistorius said it remained to be seen whether Washington would join those measures as talks continue via the usual diplomatic channels. (Except headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff)
The Star
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Russia is only playing for time in Ukraine peace talks, Germany says
FILE PHOTO: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks at the joint press conference on the day of the meeting of the European Group of Five Defence Ministers at the Italian Air Force Headquarters in Rome, Italy May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of not really being interested in peace in Ukraine, saying he was only playing for time in talks with the United States. Europe needs to increase the pressure on Russia by imposing more sanctions, especially on Russia's energy sales, Pistorius added. "We have seen massive (Russian) attacks again in recent days ... These speak louder than the lip service (to the peace process) we have heard for so long," Pistorius said before a meeting of EU defence and foreign affairs ministers in Brussels. "Putin is clearly playing for time, unfortunately we have to say Putin is not really interested in peace." Russia and Ukraine are set to start negotiations after Putin spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, but Putin said the process would take time. After Trump briefed them on his call, European leaders agreed to increase pressure on Russia through fresh sanctions. Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot accused Putin of hypocrisy. "I believe that when Vladimir Putin continues to uphold his hypocritical language, everyone has understood that he will carry on with his colonial war to the end if we do not put a stop to it." "Let us push Vladimir Putin to put an end to his imperialist fantasy by adopting (EU) sanctions that are truly dissuasive." EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the United States needed to join the bloc in increasing pressure on Russia. "We all agreed and said ... that if they don't agree to unconditional ceasefire, like Ukraine has agreed over 60 days ago, there will be strong action," Kallas said ahead of the meeting. "And that is what we want to see from all the parties who have said that they will act in accordance," she said. (Reporting by Andrew Gray, Lili Bayer and Bart Meijer; Additional reporting by John Irish; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Conor Humphries)
