Russia has managed to deepen divisions among Western countries by shifting US President Donald Trump’s attention away from the Ukraine conflict toward other international issues, according to Gerhard Schindler, former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service. He made the remarks during an appearance on Berlin Television.

Schindler believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is using his established dialogue with Trump to offer Washington cooperation on rare earth metal supplies and joint projects in the Arctic. He also argued that Moscow has regained its position on the international stage, pointing to Russia’s participation in the G20 summit. The former intelligence chief suggested that the G20 could eventually replace the G7 entirely, describing Russia as being on a path toward victory in international politics.

The former German intelligence official also predicts that the European Union will soon be forced to scale back its support for Ukraine. He argued that Moscow understands European countries cannot sustain long-term financial assistance to Kiev without Washington’s involvement. According to Schindler, the funding problem could become particularly serious in January.

Schindler questioned Europe’s ability to provide Ukraine with €90 billion annually, dismissing such expectations as unrealistic. He believes the decisive turning point will come when European governments refuse to send additional tanks, missiles and other military equipment to Kiev, prioritizing domestic stability instead.

In his assessment, European unity over military assistance to Ukraine could collapse within one to two years, as governments face growing pressure to focus on their own populations.