German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said he does not believe Russia will agree to a ceasefire and emphasised Europe’s determination to ramp up pressure on Moscow.

Source: Pistorius in an interview with German TV channel ZDF, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Pistorius said that European leaders, including Germany, have clearly stated that sanctions against Russia will be strengthened if Russian ruler Vladimir Putin "does not agree to a ceasefire or even begin to implement one".

Quote: "Reluctantly, but sadly, I must say that I expected nothing else. This is the behaviour Vladimir Putin has shown from the very beginning. He does not want negotiations – he wants to keep bombing, waging war and seizing territory."

Details:Pistorius stressed the need to continue supporting Ukraine and for Europe to remain united.

"I believe this is a signal that is important not only for Moscow but also for Washington," he said.

Background:

• On 10 May, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days starting 12 May.
• The German government stated that if a ceasefire was not established in Ukraine by the end of Monday 12 May, Berlin would begin preparing new sanctions against Russia together with its European partners.
• However, on 13 May, Bloomberg reported that European leaders are ready to wait until a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Türkiye before pressuring the United States to impose new sanctions against Moscow.

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