German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that US President Donald Trump had miscalculated the extent of his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters.
This assessment was made by Mr. Pistorius in an interview with Germanyfunk Radio, after the phone talks between the two Russian and US leaders did not make any significant progress on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Pistorius said Trump's efforts to pressure Putin to approve a 30-day unconditional ceasefire have yielded no results. I suspect he has miscalculated his negotiating position, the German Defense Minister commented.
The phone call between Trump and Putin comes as Europe continues to push for new sanctions against Russia in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
After the US efforts failed to produce clear progress, the European Union has announced plans to prepare for the next package of Russian sanctions.
Pistorius said it was unclear whether Washington would be involved in the new sanctions, as diplomatic exchanges between the two sides continue through normal channels.
The German Defense Minister's statement shows growing skepticism within Europe about Mr Trump's real role in influencing the Russian president, as well as the effectiveness of US-led unilateral initiatives to achieve peace in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Europe remains tough on Moscow through economic and diplomatic means.
