German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed again after his controversial phone call with Russian President that to talk to Putin was never pleasant.
“These were never pleasant conversations. This time it wasn’t a pleasant conversation either. But one needs to talk, even if only to hear this,” Scholz said, referring to his multiple phone calls with the Kremlin leader until late 2022.
The statement came after Scholz’s phone call on 15 Noveber, which was the first call between the Kremlin leader and the German chancellor in two years, since December 2022. German Chancellor said that his recent conversation with Vladimir Putin was necessary to dispel any potential illusions about Western support for Ukraine waning.
“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.
According to Scholz, some Germans believe that “a simple phone call would bring peace the next day.” However, as the Chancellor points out, “of course, this is not the case.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this call as a “Pandora’s box,” while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported Scholz’s decision.
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- Scholz after call with Putin: Little has changed in Russian President’s views of war
