German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his recent conversation with Vladimir Putin was necessary to dispel any potential illusions about Western support for Ukraine waning, according to reports by The Guardian and Sky News on 17 November.
The call on 15 November was the first call between the Kremlin leader and the German chancellor in two years, since December 2022. On 11 November 2024, Scholz said he wanted to resume talks with Putin.
Scholz and Putin spoke on the phone for an hour this afternoon, a German government source tells Reuters.
Before departing for the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Scholz said the call was important to dispel any illusions the Russian leader can count on diminishing the West’s support.
“We must not have illusions or be naive. Russia and its president are willing to risk resources, including their own people, to implement the plan to seize Ukraine, take away its sovereignty and democracy,” Scholz said.
The German government reported that Scholz had condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine and called on Putin to end it and withdraw his troops. The Chancellor also called on Russia to be ready to negotiate with Ukraine.
The Chancellor acknowledged that Putin’s position on the war remained unchanged.
“The conversation was very detailed but contributed to a recognition that little has changed in the Russian president’s views of the war – and that’s not good news,” Scholz said.
However, he argued that it would be problematic if the US president-elect had conversations with the Kremlin leader while the head of a major European government did not.
“We cannot and will not allow this. That’s why it’s important to make clear today that we will not stop our support. It would be an illusion on Russia’s part to think that Ukraine cannot count on our support in the future… No decision will be made behind Ukraine’s back,” Scholz said.
The concerns over Ukraine’s ability to keep the frontline against Russian aggression grew after Trump won the elections, as he previously claimed he may cut military aid to Ukraine if elected.
On the eve of this conversation, Scholz spoke with President Zelensky.
After the call between Scholz and Putin, Zelenskyy described it as a “Pandora’s box,” while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported Scholz’s decision.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry reacted to German Chancellor Scholz’s phone call with Russian leader Putin, saying that long conversations are “a resource that Putin has been using for more than 20 years,” Now they give him hope for easing international isolation.
A source in the President’s Office told Suspilne that Chancellor Scholz warned that he would call Putin, to which Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded: “This will just make Putin feel that the isolation is decreasing.”
Read also:
- Scholz dropped plans to call Putin few months ago at Zelenskyy’s request, Ukrainian ex-FM Kuleba says
- Former British PM: Scholz-Putin call risks treating aggressor as equal partner in Ukraine war talks
- “No decisions without Ukraine”: Warsaw to host crucial Ukraine war talks as tensions rise over Scholz-Putin call
