Boris Pistorius sharply condemns Putin for his unwillingness to negotiate on Ukraine
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has openly expressed his sharp criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his refusal to stop the aggression against Ukraine. The statement was made during the congress of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), which was held in Berlin on Friday, and caused widespread discussion in the media and political circles. Source: information from a report by the DPA agency and international publications, in particular, European Truth. In his speech, the head of the German Defense Ministry emphasized the unwavering support of the federal government's course on strengthening the country's defense capabilities and close solidarity with Ukraine. He emphasized that despite internal disagreements and reservations in his political party, it is necessary to advocate a tough and consistent tone in matters of countering Russian aggression. Pistorius directly accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of seeking to preserve imperial ambitions, suggesting that the Kremlin was refusing any negotiations and was only looking for ways to prolong the war. “This imperialist who runs the Kremlin,” the minister said, “does not want negotiations. He does not want peace. He wants to expand his sphere of influence and conquer new territories.” Pistorius recalled Russia’s long history of aggression, including invasions of Georgia, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 and was accompanied by an extremely brutal and massive war. The minister stressed that the country must continue to strengthen its defense capabilities and finance modern weapons, because, according to him, Russia has moved to a fully military economy. According to his estimates, next year Putin's army will double in size compared to its military capabilities before the war. This, according to Pistorius, makes Russia's nuclear and military power an even more serious threat to global security and stability. In this regard, he stressed that it is important for Germany and all of NATO not to reduce the level of defense investments and to be prepared for any development scenarios. He noted that Putin reacts only to force and understands only the language of firm responsibility, therefore maintaining a high level of combat readiness is a matter of strategic necessity. Let us recall that in early June, documents and publications signed by more than a hundred politicians and figures associated with the Social Democratic Party caused a public outcry in Germany. They called for negotiations with Russia and a reduction in tensions surrounding the deployment of American medium-range missiles on German territory. This provoked sharp objections from Boris Pistorius and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who emphasized that negotiations with the Kremlin only make sense if hostilities cease and Russia abandons its aggressive policy. Thus, the position of the Minister of Defense clearly demonstrates the firmness of German diplomacy and defense strategy in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian war, and also exposes the differences in intra-party and political circles regarding approaches to resolving the conflict and the path to peace.