German Defense Minister: Trump Wrongly Considers His Influence On Putin

JAKARTA - President of the United States (US) Donald Trump misasses his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This opinion was conveyed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday, May 21, commenting on phone calls between the two leaders not making any progress in Ukraine's peace negotiations, prompting Europe to announce new sanctions against Russia.

"I suspect he has wrongly assessed his negotiating position," Boris Pistorius told radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, following Trump's now canceled attempts to pressure Putin to accept an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days.

The European Union is currently drafting a next package of sanctions against Russia regarding the war in Ukraine.

German Defense Minister Pistorius said it remains to be seen whether Washington will join the measures while talks continue through diplomatic channels as usual.