German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rejected recent statements by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin regarding a possible end to the Ukraine war as deceptive maneuvers. "It is to be feared that this is yet another deceptive maneuver," Pistorius said on Monday during a visit to Kyiv. He added, "It seems to be part of his hybrid warfare." Putin had stated at a press conference on Saturday that the conflict "is nearing its end" and suggested former Gerhard Schröder as a mediator.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev clearly rejected Schröder as a mediator. "Anyone who has represented Russian interests in Germany for years lacks the moral and political legitimacy to act as a mediator today," Makeiev told Spiegel. Green Party leader Felix Banaszak also expressed his "dismay" at the willingness of SPD politicians like Adis Ahmetovic and Ralf Stegner to consider Putin's proposal.
Pistorius emphasized that Putin wants to distract from his own weaknesses with his statements. The Russian president can "hardly demonstrate any territorial gains at the moment," and his army is "constantly losing parts of captured territory." The minister reminded that Putin has previously "played with marked cards" in discussions about a ceasefire or peace. "If he indeed sees the end of this war approaching, then he could simply end this war," Pistorius stated.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also rejected Putin's proposal to appoint Schröder as a mediator. According to the Guardian, she described Putin's statements as "very cynical." The German government also rejected the proposal, with a spokesperson calling Putin's offer a "sham offer," as reported by Deutschlandfunk.
Pistorius is currently in Kyiv for talks, which also include the joint development of new weapon systems, including drones with a range of up to 1,500 kilometers, as reported by Tagesschau. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously stated that all diplomatic options are being considered but rejected a meeting with Putin in Moscow—the capital of the aggressor state.
