German minister says Putin 'playing for time' on Ukraine peace

Paris meeting

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday there is "absolutely nothing" indicating Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks peace with Ukraine, telling an E5 defense ministers' meeting in Paris that the Kremlin leader is merely "playing for time" as the war grinds on.

Pistorius stated that the Russian president has shown no interest in a ceasefire. "I have to say there is absolutely nothing - not a single thing - to suggest that Vladimir Putin is even remotely interested in a ceasefire, let alone peace. Quite the contrary: he is playing for time," he said, noting that Moscow has failed to achieve its military objectives.

Infrastructure threat

Pistorius added that Russian forces will exploit the coming cold season to terrorize civilians. "He (Putin) is unable to prevail on the battlefield. So, he will do what he has been doing for the past few years: he will bank on a cold winter and further worsen conditions for the people of Ukraine by having their energy and water infrastructure destroyed - quite systematically. We all know what that means: it is nothing less than sheer terror," he said, adding that Brussels has prepared winter aid packages for Kyiv and is working with Ukrainian authorities to develop an integrated air defense network.

Hybrid warfare

Pistorius also warned that Russian hybrid attacks against European targets are escalating sharply. The comments came days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz identified Russian influence operations as his single greatest concern, warning that Moscow is succeeding in destabilizing European societies through infrastructure sabotage and communications interference alongside disinformation campaigns.