Scholz calls for peace in Ukraine in phone call with Putin

For the first time in two years, the German chancellor directly spoke with the Russian president.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone for the first time in two years on Friday.
During the conversation, Scholz condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling on Putin to end the war and withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. He also urged Moscow to engage in negotiations with Kyiv in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.
“Russia must show a willingness to negotiate with Ukraine – with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace,” Scholz reiterated in a post on X following the call.
The chancellor assured that Berlin stands with Ukraine and will continue to support it in its defence against the Russian war of aggression, well into its third year.
A statement from the Kremlin, shared by the state-run Tass agency, said that Putin emphasised any potential agreements on Ukraine must reflect “new territorial realities” and “address the root causes of the conflict”.
Putin also highlighted the unprecedented decline in Russian-German relations and that Moscow’s war in Ukraine was a direct result of NATO’s aggressive policy, the statement added. Putin and Russian officials have repeatedly blamed NATO for Russia’s act of aggression in early 2022, a claim they never provided any substantial proof for.
According to the Kremlin, the conversation was initiated by the German side.
The German leader had previously spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone and, according to Hebestreit, will continue to do so after the conversation with Putin.
This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.