Unpleasant conversation: Scholz shares details of recent talks with Putin
Photo: Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany (Getty Images)
This month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, for the first time since 2022. The conversation turned out to be unpleasant, as the arguments of the Kremlin leader remained unchanged, says the Chancellor in an interview with ZDF.
The Chancellor shared details of his phone conversation with Putin, noting that it was unpleasant. He explained that he considered the conversation responsible and necessary.
He also reminded that before the war began, he had met with Putin and expressed his point of view, making it clear that the reasons Putin later cited as justifications for starting the war were not true.
Scholz mentioned that he had communicated with the Kremlin leader multiple times by phone until the end of 2022, and none of those conversations had been easy or pleasant. According to Scholz, this time the situation did not change, but he believes such dialogues are important.
He added that some people hope that peace can be quickly established with a single phone call. However, he called such expectations an illusion and emphasized that Putin had not changed his position and had not budged even an inch.
"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," he explained.
Scholz and Putin talks
On November 15, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the Kremlin leader for the first time in two years.
During the conversation, the Chancellor condemned Russia's actions in the war against Ukraine, urging Putin to withdraw troops and raising the issue of possible negotiations with Kyiv.
After the call, Scholz stated that Putin's stance on the war remained unchanged. At the same time, he emphasized that it was necessary to hold this dialogue, especially in the context of the upcoming G20 summit.
