Pistorius: Ukraine needs security guarantees amid Trump’s quick-fix plan for ending Russia’s war

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Pistorius emphasized that the first step should be achieving a ceasefire, followed by lasting peace for Ukraine. “This means Ukraine needs security guarantees from all other countries,” he said.

“Regardless of Donald Trump’s agenda, the White House, or the new administration, we must assume great responsibility,” Pistorius added.

He warned that without such guarantees, the likelihood of Russia launching another attack “within just a few years” is very high. Addressing this issue will be a challenge Europe must face “in the coming months and years,” he noted.

Pistorius also expressed his disapproval of public discussions about strategies related to ceasefire negotiations or broader peace talks.

“This is not something we should discuss publicly, because otherwise, I might as well send Vladimir Putin an email informing him of our plans,” he said.

On Jan. 21, Trump, speaking from the White House, mentioned the high probability of imposing new sanctions against Russia if dictator Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate over Ukraine.

On Jan. 22, the new US president urged Putin via Truth Social to “make a deal,” warning that the Russian economy is “collapsing” and will only “get worse.”

“If we don’t make a ‘deal’ soon, I will have no choice but to impose high tariffs, duties, and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and other involved countries,” Trump wrote.

Previously, Putin had expressed his desire for “dialogue with the United States on an equal and mutually respectful basis.”