German defence minister: Putin does not want peace, he wants to keep bombing Ukrainians

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.

Pistorius said in an interview with German TV channel ZDF 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".

"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," he said.

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.

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.