Scholz and Putin plan to hold first phone call in 2 years today - Bloomberg
Photo: Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin (RBC-Ukraine collage)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin are set to hold a phone conversation on Friday. The call will be the first direct contact between the leaders in nearly 2 years and comes at a critical time for Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
Ukraine is preparing for a third winter at war, with its energy infrastructure destroyed and growing uncertainty about the support of its Western allies. Germany, Ukraine's second-largest partner after the United States, has already pledged billions of euros in aid.
Meanwhile, European leaders are concerned about the upcoming political changes in the United States. Donald Trump, who is vying for a return to the White House, has declared his intention to push for a quick deal between Kyiv and Moscow, which, according to European officials, could cement Russia's territorial gains.
In recent months, the Biden administration has stepped up its support for Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Brussels to reassure NATO and EU allies of the US intention to speed up the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and other resources. These efforts are funded by a $61 billion aid package previously approved by Congress.
Blinken emphasized that every dollar available to them would be used as quickly as possible.
European leaders are also calling on the United States to strengthen sanctions against Russia and to stop supplying technologies that Moscow uses to produce weapons.
Scholz's talks with Putin
The last telephone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian president Vladimir Putin took place in December 2022. Since then, Putin's direct contacts with other Western leaders have also ceased. Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron last spoke with the Russian leader in the same year.
German government spokesperson Steffen Gebestreit said earlier that the chancellor is ready to resume a dialogue with Putin if she believes that this can lead to concrete results.
Earlier, Scholz said he planned to resume talks with the Russian president.
