DISINFO: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius uses Goebbels' Nazi vocabulary and has no interest in peace in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Even Boris "war-mongering" Pistorius, who's clearly into using catchy phrases from Joseph Goebbels' Nazi vocabulary, seems to have one goal in mind: That's not peace in Ukraine, because he and his cronies are afraid of that, as it would mean that he and his warmongering mates could be held accountable!
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accuses the West of Nazism, including baseless claims that German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is fascinated by Joseph Goebbels’ rhetoric, driven by a “death instinct,” and uninterested in peace in Ukraine. In reality, Pistorius has consistently supported Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression, in line with Germany’s official policy.
Pistorius has repeatedly stressed that Germany’s goal is not to prolong the war but to help Ukraine secure a just and lasting peace. He has rejected the idea of “peace at any cost,” especially if it involves Ukrainian capitulation or territorial concessions. In July 2025, he pointed to Russia’s intensified attacks as evidence of its lack of interest in genuine negotiations. In December 2024, he expressed openness to international peacekeeping mechanisms if Russia shows a real willingness to negotiate.
Pistorius serves under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose government strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty. Germany continues to provide military, political, and economic aid, backs Ukraine’s EU and NATO integration, supports using frozen Russian assets for reconstruction, and advocates for international justice, including a war crimes tribunal.
Finally, this is part of a wider disinformation campaign attacking Germany’s leadership, accusing them of Nazism. Labelling Russia’s adversaries as Nazis is a frequently used pro-Kremlin disinformation technique, and has been used by Russia to try to justify the invasion of Ukraine by portraying it as a “denazification operation”. Pistorius’s stance, however, directly contradicts such portrayals, focusing instead on securing a durable peace that does not reward aggression. See also our article Summoning the ghost of the Reich.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that incoming German chancellor Merz may pose threat to the world, that Baerbock has a Nazi background and is therefore unfit for top UN job, that Führer Ursula von der Leyen is turning the EU into a bastion of liberal totalitarianism, that the European elites want to turn the EU into the Fourth Reich, or that warmongering EU’s Fourth Reich wants a Third World War.