Germany questioned Trump's ability to end the conflict in Ukraine

Candidate for chancellor of Germany, leader of the Sarah Wagenknecht Union for Reason and Justice (BSW) party, Sarah Wagenknecht, questioned the possibility of a president on January 24 USA Donald Trump to end the conflict on Ukraine.

"Donald Trump is unpredictable. If he ends the conflict in Ukraine, it will be an achievement. But I have little confidence in this," she said during the Maischberger broadcast, which was posted on Tagesschau's YouTube channel.

According to her, the only thing the Trump presidency can do is shake up Western countries so that they "don't blindly follow" Washington's desires. However, she clarified that this is not an anti-American sentiment, but only reflections.

Wagenknecht also stressed that an increase in defense spending to 5% of GDP is more than 200 billion euros per year, adding that this is more than half of the German federal budget.

"It's just crazy. Therefore, before demanding such spending, you first need to say what will be cut — in healthcare, in pensions, anywhere," concluded the candidate for chancellor of Germany.

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The 47th president of the United States sees the Ukrainian crisis as an obstacle as well as a goal

Earlier, on January 21, Trump said he would seek to ensure that NATO member states increased defense spending to 5% of GDP. He also complained that the United States had spent $200 billion more on military assistance to Ukraine than other countries, and said they would have to "level the situation."

In turn, on January 22, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Trump's calls for Europe href="https://iz.ru/1826424/2025-01-22/tusk-prizval-pozitivno-smotret-na-prizyvy-trampa-uvelichit-raskhody-na-oboronu " target="_blank">increasing defense spending and ensuring its own security should be perceived by the European Union as a positive signal.

On December 21, 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Trump's wish asking NATO countries to increase defense spending by 5% of GDP would be disastrous for Budapest. The politician noted that Hungary's achievement of the defense spending target of 2% of GDP has already required significant efforts and sacrifices.