German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called US President-elect Donald Trump on 19 December during the European Council summit in Brussels, Politico reports.
The call occurred as EU leaders gathered to discuss global affairs and preparations for potentially reduced US support during Trump’s upcoming term.
According to the German Government’s readout, both leaders “agreed that the Russian war against Ukraine had gone on for far too long and that it was important to get on the path to a fair, just and sustainable peace as soon as possible.” Scholz reaffirmed his support for Ukraine’s defense “against the Russian war of aggression for as long as necessary.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, present at the Brussels summit, expressed openness to Trump’s involvement.
“Welcome, Donald,” Zelenskyy told reporters on 19 December, according to Politico, adding that he very much “wants Trump to help us and finish this war.”
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