After almost two years of silence, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The German Chancellor urged the Russian leader to be open to talks with Ukraine as the conflict approaches its 1,000th day on Tuesday, Scholz’s office said.
The conversation occurred on Friday, the first since December 2022. It comes as the German leader prepares for snap elections and Europe looks forward to US President-elect Donald Trump presenting a plan to end the war in Ukraine. German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that during the hour-long conversation, Scholz urged Putin to withdraw troops and end hostilities.
The chancellor urged Russia to be willing to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace and stressed Germany’s unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression for as long as necessary, Hebestreit said in a statement.
The Russian side stated that Germany initiated the call, during which the leaders had a “detailed and frank exchange of opinions on the situation in Ukraine.” Putin said any peace agreement must reflect “new territorial realities” and its security requirements, including Kyiv’s refusal to join NATO. Putin reiterated that Russia is open to continuing negotiations to resolve the conflict, which Ukraine broke off in the spring of 2022, the Kremlin said.
Putin also reiterated the Ukraine-Russia conflict was the result of years of a long-standing aggressive NATO policy that wanted to turn Ukraine into a springboard against Russia. Whereas now Putin’s peace proposals face international rejection. In June, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg criticised Russia’s demands.
Possible agreements should take into account the interests of the Russian Federation in the security sphere, proceed from new territorial realities, and most importantly, eliminate the root causes of the conflict, the Kremlin readout said.
The conversation came as fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops have been making advances in recent months. Donald Trump’s re-election as US president also raises questions about the future of US aid to Ukraine, as he has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict and criticised the extent of Western financial and military aid to Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leaders had a “detailed” and “frank” exchange of opinions but added that ”there is no talk about convergence of opinions.” However, the two countries agreed to stay in touch after the conversation.
Scholz last met Putin in person in February 2022, a week before the war began, during his first visit to Moscow. There were a few more phone calls afterwards, but then they were no more. Scholz confirmed that he intended to converse with Putin, but added that talking to the Russian leader requires many contacts and conversations with many others, as evidenced by recent contacts with many leaders, including US President Joe Biden.
Ukraine criticises Russia-Germany conversation
Hebestreit said that Scholz spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. Consequently, he is now planning to brief Zelensky, allies, partners and the heads of the European Union and NATO on the outcome of Friday’s call, German officials said, according to Taggesschau.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the phone conversation between the German Chancellor and the Russian President, calling it the opening of a “Pandora’s box” that only undermines efforts to isolate the Russian leader.
This is exactly what Putin has been wanting for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation, Russia’s isolation, and to have normal negotiations that will not end in anything, Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing increasingly difficult conditions on the front line in the east of the country due to shortages of weapons and personnel, while Russian troops are making steady advances. Earlier, Ukrainian media Russian troops reached the outskirts of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Region, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine started to leave the town.
