'Putin is playing a game here' — Germany's Pistorius criticizes Trump's ceasefire call with Moscow

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on March 19 criticized the call between the U.S. and Russian presidents the day before, saying the partial ceasefire announced afterwards "doesn't actually mean anything."

Speaking to the German broadcaster ZDF, Pistorius said the call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin amounted to a "nullnummer" (a zero-zero-draw).

Despite still not agreeing to a full 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S., the Kremlin said it had agreed to a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.

"After this supposedly groundbreaking, great phone call, the Russian attacks have not decreased," Pistorius said, referencing drone strikes recorded across Ukraine overnight.

"So Putin is playing a game here, and I'm sure the American president won't be able to stand by and watch for long without reacting," Pistorius said, adding he believes that Putin is playing for time to regroup his troops and weaken Ukraine's defense capability.

The Kremlin has also demanded a complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence to Ukraine as a "key condition for avoiding an escalation of the war," according to its statement released after the call.

Elsewhere, current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, standing by French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, welcomed news of the partial ceasefire agreement. Scholz called it an important "first step" towards a complete ceasefire, Deutsche Welle reported on March 18.

Shortly after the call, air raid sirens blared, and explosions rocked Ukraine.

Ukraine said that Moscow had launched as many as 145 attack and decoy drones, as well as six missiles, against Ukraine, of which 72 were shot down and 56 disappeared from radars.

"Today, Putin de facto rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire. It would be right for the world to reject in response any attempts by Putin to drag out the war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

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