Scholz ready to talk to Putin again despite 'frustrating' phone call
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he is ready to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin again after his previous phone call with him in mid-November, the German newspaper Die Zeit reported on Dec. 12.
"I will do it again. But we must not have any illusions about it," Scholz was quoted as saying, despite expressing frustration earlier over Putin "repeating all his formulas" during their phone call on Nov. 15.
During that conversation, Scholz condemned Russia's war against Ukraine, calling on Putin to end the invasion and withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. He also urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a "just and lasting peace."
This drew criticism from Western allies and President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called the chancellor's conversation with the Russian leader the opening of a "Pandora’s box."
"In Europe, it may happen that after one call, there may be a second, third, fourth, fifth... Because sometimes leaders want to (wrestle for) leadership. After that, there may be a wave of actual recognition of Putin," Zelensky said at the time.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely regarded as the most Kremlin-friendly European leader, also called Putin on Dec. 11 to discuss the war with Ukraine, a step similarly lambasted by Zelensky. Orban previously met Putin in person after visiting Moscow in July.
Scholz's statement comes shortly after his first visit to Kyiv in two and a half years, where he pledged $680 million in military support. The chancellor faces snap elections in February 2025, with his rival, the conservative CDU/CSU leader Friedrich Merz, leading in the polls.
Merz voiced support for providing Ukraine with the Taurus missiles, a step that Scholz refused to take, but only after consulting with the new U.S. administration.
