German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius doubts that US President Donald Trump’s approach will bring about a swift ceasefire in Ukraine. He described an agreement between Washington and Moscow at Ukraine’s expense and without its involvement as unacceptable.
The minister also linked Europe’s participation in negotiations to future security guarantees. According to Handelsblatt, in an interview with newspapers belonging to the Funke media group, published on November 7, Pistorius said Europeans could not be expected to guarantee Ukraine’s security and uphold the peace on their own if they were excluded from the negotiating process.
In his assessment, recent months offer little reason to expect Trump’s actions to lead quickly to a ceasefire or peace. The prospect of a ceasefire, the minister said, depends on Vladimir Putin’s position and the US president’s next steps.
Pistorius stressed that Ukraine must be able to rely on the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The remarks came ahead of a new round of talks between representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi. As US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff previously announced, the meeting of negotiating delegations is scheduled for November 10–11.
The expected topics include security guarantees and measures to reduce the intensity of the war. According to Reuters, Volodymyr Zelenskyy named an end to attacks on energy infrastructure and a Black Sea truce to ensure food exports as possible discussion points.
Trump previously said that he had met Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev at the White House on November 5. After the meeting, he suggested that a major agreement could be reached that would affect not only Ukraine but also Europe. The US president did not disclose specific terms, European Pravda reported, citing Reuters.
Sources: Handelsblatt, European Pravda, Reuters.
Boris Pistorius, 5 May 2025. File photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized.
