Putin stalling on Ukraine talks – German minister

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of stalling talks to halt the fighting in Ukraine.

Baerbock made the claim during a visit to Kyiv.

Speaking at a press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart, she said Putin is manoeuvring his way out of negotiations, continuing his illegal war of aggression and escalating with brutal, threatening attacks on houses.

“Putin cannot be trusted in this situation. There will only be a real and lasting peace when the Russian president realises that he cannot win this war, that his destruction is not successful,” she said.

On March 11, Ukraine, whose army is struggling on the front line, agreed with the United States on a plan for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.

However, Putin has rejected the US proposal and upped his rhetoric on Moscow wanting to install new leadership in Ukraine.

Baerbock was visiting Kyiv for the first time since the re-election of US President Donald Trump, who has upended US-Europe relations by reaching out to Russia over European heads to seek an end to the conflict.

The shift in policy has, however, triggered concern over the future of the NATO alliance and prompted Europe to focus on boosting its own defence capabilities and increasing its support for Ukraine.

Kyiv has come under mounting pressure to agree to a natural resources deal with Washington that would give the United States access to rare Ukrainian minerals in return for further support.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga said it was also important to emphasise that the agreement, on which they have started negotiations, could not in any way stop their integration into the European Union.