Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 21, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGermany's defense minister says Trump misjudged his influence on Putin, affecting Ukraine peace talks. EU plans new sanctions against Russia.
BERLIN (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump misjudged his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany's defence minister said on Tuesday, after a phone call between the two leaders yielded no progress in Ukraine peace talks, prompting Europe to announce new Russia sanctions.
"I suspect he assessed his negotiating position incorrectly," Boris Pistorius told the Deutschlandfunk radio broadcaster, following Trump's now-abandoned efforts to pressure Putin into accepting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The European Union is currently working on its next package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Pistorius said it remained to be seen whether Washington would join those measures as talks continue via the usual diplomatic channels.
(Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Germany's defence minister, Boris Pistorius, stated that Trump misjudged his influence on Putin, suggesting that he assessed his negotiating position incorrectly.
The European Union is working on its next package of sanctions against Russia due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, with uncertainty about whether Washington will join these measures.
Pistorius mentioned that Trump's efforts to pressure Putin into accepting an unspecified deal were now abandoned, indicating a miscalculation in Trump's approach.
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