Scholz breaks silence: Two‑hour call with Putin on Ukraine war
This afternoon, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirmed the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government. German media emphasize that this is the first conversation between the politicians in two years.
Scholz and Putin spoke early Friday afternoon (Eastern Time). Federal government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit stated that the chancellor had previously spoken on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The chancellor condemned Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and called on President Putin to end it and withdraw his troops, said the government spokesperson in a statement. He added that Scholz emphasized "Germany's unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression for as long as necessary."
According to dpa information, the phone call lasted two hours.
The German chancellor had announced the conversation with the Russian leader a few days earlier. Yes, I plan to speak at the appropriate time with the President of Russia, he said this past Sunday on ARD television. I am a responsible politician and do not intend to do this alone, on my own, assured Scholz, adding that the situation must also be discussed with Ukraine.
The last Scholz-Putin conversation took place in 2022
As reminded by dpa, already in mid-October, Scholz indicated readiness to talk with Putin about a just peace in Ukraine.
The last time the German chancellor spoke on the phone with Putin was in December 2022. At that time, he demanded a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
