“There's always the fear that it's just another hoax.” Germany's warning regarding Putin's references to peace
Russian President Vladimir Putin's references to a possible end to the war in Ukraine could be a new diversion in his attempt to distract attention from Russia's weakness, said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who arrived on Monday on an unannounced visit to Kiev, reports Reuters, according to Agerpres.
Putin said on Saturday that he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end and that he would be willing to negotiate new security deals in Europe, with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a potential negotiating partner.
Putin could end the war himself if he wanted, Pistorius pointed out. “And there's always the fear – I hope I'm wrong – that it's just another hoax, but it can't be ruled out.”
“I think Putin is finally trying to distract from his own weakness with this approach. Currently, he can point to almost no territorial gains, and his army continues to lose parts of the conquered territories,” the German defense minister added.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a three-day truce on Friday as part of a US push for peace under President Donald Trump, but both accused each other of violating it.
