US President Donald Trump overestimated his ability to sway Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, following an unproductive phone call between the two leaders that failed to advance peace efforts in Ukraine.
“I suspect he assessed his negotiating position incorrectly,” Pistorius told Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio, in reference to Trump’s attempt to broker an unconditional 30-day ceasefire—a move that was ultimately abandoned after yielding no tangible results.
The stalled negotiations have prompted the European Union to move forward with a new package of sanctions against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine. Discussions are currently underway within EU institutions to finalise the measures.
Pistorius added that it remains unclear whether the United States will align with the new EU sanctions.
Trump’s call with Putin, which had raised initial hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough, appears instead to have underscored the limits of US influence as the conflict grinds on into its third year.
Melissa Enoch
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