German defense minister slams Trump for ‘rolling out the red carpet’ for Putin

(Milena Wälde – Politico) German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has taken a pointed swipe at Donald Trump, accusing the U.S. president of sending the wrong signals to Vladimir Putin and weakening Ukraine’s position in the war. Speaking to Deutschlandfunk Radio on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Social Democrat — Germany’s most popular politician in recent surveys — said Trump had boosted the Kremlin leader’s confidence through overly warm engagement. “Unfortunately, the American president influenced the course of the war and Putin’s self-confidence when he rolled out the red carpet and greeted him like a buddy in Alaska, while at the same time completely withdrawing from supporting Ukraine militarily,” Pistorius said. – German defense minister slams Trump for ‘rolling out the red carpet’ for Putin – POLITICO