Germany's Chancellor Scholz urges peace talks in rare call with Putin
In a conversation with Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve lasting peace. This conversation marks the first contact between the leaders in two years.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a telephone conversation on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was their first discussion since December 2022. Scholz emphasized the need for Russia to prepare for talks with Ukraine to develop a lasting and fair peace.
Germany supports Ukraine; pressure on Germany
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin informed that the German Chancellor had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier.
These talks are part of broader diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine. Scholz is trying to mediate between the parties to find a solution that will bring peace to the region.
The German chancellor stresses that dialogue is key to reaching an agreement. International cooperation and the involvement of all parties are essential to ending the war.
Putin accuses NATO
The Kremlin responded that the current crisis results from NATO's aggressive policies and that Russia is open to resuming negotiations provided its security interests are considered. Scholz reported the conversation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who expressed satisfaction with Scholz's unequivocal condemnation of Russian aggression.
After the conversation with Putin, Scholz informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk about the course of the talks. Tusk expressed satisfaction with Scholz's clear condemnation of Russian aggression and emphasized the principle of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."
