Scholz's tense call: Putin unyielding on Ukraine war stance
In mid-November, Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin. The chancellor then faced a wave of criticism. Scholz now reveals that the conversation with the Russian dictator was "unpleasant."
In an interview with ZDF, Scholz shared details of the phone conversation, emphasizing that it was "unpleasant" but "responsible and necessary."
Putin "didn't take a step back"
The German Chancellor recalled meeting with Putin before the war began and expressing his position, clearly indicating that the reasons later presented as justification for the war "do not correspond to reality."
Scholz noted that he had spoken multiple times on the phone with the Kremlin leader until the end of 2022, and none of these conversations "were easy or pleasant." He said the situation during the last conversation "did not change," but he "considers such dialogues important."
He added that there are people who believe that "peace can be quickly achieved with one phone call." However, Scholz described such expectations as "illusory" and emphasized that "Putin has not changed his stance and hasn't taken a step back."
"All the arguments were essentially repeated again. And for me, it was clear that I had to repeat mine as well. So, Putin, don't expect us to reduce our support. You need to find a way out of this war. You must stop your attacks and withdraw your troops," the chancellor explained.
Scholz's conversations with Putin
On November 15, for the first time in two years, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the Kremlin leader.
During the conversation, the chancellor condemned Russia's actions in the war against Ukraine, urged the dictator to withdraw troops, and addressed the issue of potential negotiations with Kyiv.
