Moscow is not showing willingness to stop the war against Ukraine, and its approach to the West resembles not direct confrontation but undermining the unity of the alliance. These conclusions were voiced by Boris Pistorius, Germany’s Minister of Defense, in an interview with Die Zeit.
Pistorius emphasized that talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine have so far yielded no results due to the Kremlin’s lack of signals of interest in peace. According to the official, the only person who can immediately stop the fighting is Vladimir Putin.
Despite the efforts of the United States, European countries, and Ukraine, Moscow, he said, is not even prepared for a temporary ceasefire.
Discussing possible security guarantees for Ukraine, the minister noted that these are still hypothetical scenarios, and talk of peace will be possible only after concrete steps by Russia toward de-escalation.
The head of the German Defense Ministry also stressed that European countries have expressed willingness to create multinational forces under European leadership, but the key role in any agreements remains with the United States.
According to him, Moscow systematically tests NATO’s reaction, in particular through airspace violations and pressure on the alliance’s eastern borders.
“Putin does not intend to wage a full-scale world war against NATO. He wants to destroy NATO from within, casting doubt on its unity. And testing how NATO will respond after the 13th or 15th airspace violation”
– Boris Pistorius
Latest news on peace negotiations
November 30 in Miami saw a meeting between American and Ukrainian representatives – the second such meeting under this format since the events in Geneva. The meeting was described as “a productive continuation of the negotiations in Geneva.”
December 2 Zelensky reported in Ireland that the document being worked on by the negotiating groups would contain not 28, as Russia proposed, but 20 points. On the same day in Moscow, Putin held an almost five-hour meeting with the American delegation. Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said that the sides have not yet reached compromises regarding the war in Ukraine.
In the night of December 6, the sixth meeting in two weeks between Umerova and Hnatova with the American side took place. The sides discussed the scope of security agreements, deterrence mechanisms, and the postwar reconstruction plan, noting that progress depends on real steps by Russia toward de-escalation. On December 7, the negotiating groups discussed territorial issues and security guarantees. On December 9, Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian and European components for ending the war are already better worked out. He said Kyiv, together with partners, is ready to present them to the United States.
December 14–15 in Berlin, the Ukrainian delegation led by Zelensky held talks with the United States on the 20-point peace plan. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov said that the conversation was productive and that the sides managed to achieve some progress.
December 18, Zelensky noted that Putin does not strive to end the war, but stressed that Russia’s ability to continue fighting directly depends on Western pressure.
December 19, Putin’s concluding press conference included the assertion that Ukraine allegedly refuses to end the war “by peaceful means,” but there are signals of Kyiv’s readiness for dialogue.
December 19–20 in the United States, new rounds of negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Europe took place. After the meeting, Zelensky said that the United States had proposed trilateral talks Kyiv – Washington – Moscow, but Moscow rejected the initiative.
December 22, Umerov said that the sides spent three days discussing four key documents, including the security guarantees agreement and the “Plan for Prosperity,” emphasizing the importance of timeframes. In summary, he noted that progress depends on concrete steps by Russia and the West’s willingness to apply real pressure on the Kremlin with demands for de-escalation and new compromises.