German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of the SPD, says the Ukrainian front line is “stuck”. Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to RTL and ntv, he warned that Russia is deploying an insane number of troops for only marginal gains. “They lose about 30,000 soldiers every month-whether injured or killed-yet progress is negligible” he said.
Pistorius added that the nightly increases in drone, cruise‑missile and other attacks are far more frightening and threatening for Ukraine’s civilians. “People are dying in their homes because they freeze” he said, describing such strikes as “pure terrorism against the civilian population” and utterly unrelated to any military engagement. He states that Russia does this to break the morale of the Ukrainian people, while also signaling that it has no interest in pursuing peace or ending the war.
He sees signs that Russia may soon be unable to sustain the war economically. “It would be very surprising if Russia could keep this going for a very, very long time” he said. Pistorius calls for continuously reviewing sanctions to ensure they are sufficient and well‑monitored. He urged that the flow of money through gas and oil sales be halted as quickly, decisively, and completely as possible, because that is the lifeline funding Russia’s war effort. “And that is why we must stay consistent on this front” he concluded.