The key facts

  • Pistorius sees no prerequisites for a quick peace deal on Ukraine
  • He called a Russia-US agreement at Ukraine's expense unacceptable
  • Politico reported skepticism among European capitals about Trump's plan

Assessment by the German Defense Minister

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that US President Donald Trump's approach gives no hope of a swift peace deal on Ukraine, reports the TV channel n-tv. “The events of the past few months give no grounds to hope that Trump's approach will quickly lead to a ceasefire or even to peace,” Pistorius said. According to him, an agreement between Russia and the US at Ukraine's expense and without its participation is unacceptable both for Kyiv and for Europe.

Skepticism in European capitals

Pistorius's statement is consistent with an earlier report by Politico, cited by Gazeta.Ru: in Europe, Trump's remarks about a Ukraine deal affecting the entire continent were met with skepticism. According to the outlet, “the opaque proposal by the Trump administration for a new pan-European security agreement with Russia has sparked skepticism in European capitals, which fear that it risks pushing the continent into the background.” Thus, the position of the Berlin minister concretizes Europe's overall wariness: the main risk is seen in the possibility that the terms of a future settlement may be discussed without the participation of the European countries themselves and Ukraine.

Kyiv's readiness for talks

Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelensky's office earlier declared its readiness for “normal negotiations” with Russia. It remains unclear what exactly the format of the agreement proposed by the Trump administration might look like: its content has been described in publications only in general terms, and sources do not provide any specific timelines or parameters of the deal.