Germany’s Scholz, Russia’s Putin Hold Phone Talks for First Time in Nearly Two Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke over the phone on Friday, Moscow and Berlin announced, coming at a moment of great uncertainty about the West’s continued support of Ukraine.

Scholz said Sunday he was interested in talking with the Kremlin leader about possible solutions to end the war in Ukraine, which is nearing the third-year mark. The pair last spoke in December 2022, when the German chancellor urged Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine.

“The Chancellor urged Russia to be prepared to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace,” a German government spokesperson said in a written statement published Friday, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Moscow Times.

According to the spokesperson, Scholz notified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before calling Putin and intended to call Zelensky again afterward.

Scholz was said to have reiterated Berlin’s condemnation of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, called for the withdrawal of troops and emphasized “unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russian aggression for as long as necessary.”

Russia’s state-run news agency TASS, citing an anonymous German government official, reported that Scholz and Putin agreed to maintain contact with one another. Germany also plans to brief “allies and partners” on Scholz’s talks with Putin, it added.