Photo: Michael Kappeler Associated Press German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated to the Russian president the “determination” of Germany and the EU to support Ukraine “for as long as necessary.”
Agence France-Presse Berlin
Published at 1:44 p.m.
- Europe
In their first phone call in nearly two years, Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their positions on the Ukraine conflict on Friday: the German chancellor called on Moscow to negotiate “a just peace” and the Russian president insisted on territorial concessions from kyiv.
The exchange angered Ukraine, which saw it as “an attempt to appease” Moscow.
During the hour-long meeting, Olaf Scholz called on Russia to show its “willingness to enter into negotiations with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace,” according to a statement from the German government.
Putin reaffirmed that any peace agreement should reflect the “new territorial realities,” according to the Kremlin.
This is the Russian position that has been repeated for months. Russia is open to peace negotiations, but with “concessions” from kyiv: the cession of the Ukrainian territories that Moscow annexed in 2022 without fully controlling them. A condition deemed unthinkable by kyiv.
The chancellery specified that Olaf Scholz had previously spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and that he would speak to him again after his meeting with the Russian president.
“Conversations with the Russian dictator alone do not bring any added value to achieving a just peace,” castigated the spokesperson for Ukrainian diplomacy, Georgiy Tykhy, calling instead for “concrete and strong actions” to force Russia to make peace.
Allies informed
Washington, Paris and London were aware of Olaf Scholz's intention to call the Russian leader, but the messages were not “coordinated”, according to the entourage of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Berlin “has ensured or will ensure” that its EU and NATO allies are informed of this exchange, the chancellery said.
Olaf Scholz will meet the G20 leaders on Tuesday at the summit in Brazil, and a meeting of several EU foreign policy chiefs is planned for the same day in Warsaw to mark the thousand days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000In a first comment on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the fact that Olaf Scholz had told Mr. Putin that “nothing on Ukraine” would be done “without Ukraine.”
The German Chancellor also reiterated to the Russian leader “the determination” of Germany and the EU to support Ukraine “as long as necessary.”
The last call between the German and Russian leaders was on December 2, 2022, some 9 months after Moscow began its offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
According to the Kremlin, which described the exchange as “frank and detailed,” the call took place “at the initiative of the German side.”
Since the Russian invasion, Germany, Russia’s historic energy partner, has been the second largest provider of military aid to kyiv, after the United States.
But despite Volodymyr’s repeated requests Zelensky, Chancellor Scholz has tirelessly refused to provide Kiev with the long-range Taurus missiles requested by kyiv to better defend itself.
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Election campaign
This fear of an escalation with Moscow regularly put forward by the German leader also earns him criticism from some of his European allies who accuse him of a lack of determination.
They add to concerns about a possible American disengagement from Ukraine after the election of Donald Trump to the White House, who had promised to resolve the Ukrainian conflict “in twenty-four hours,” without ever detailing his plan.
For his part, Olaf Scholz recently called for a redoubled effort to end the conflict through diplomatic means, in consultation with kyiv and the country’s allies.
In mid-October, he judged that the time had come “to do everything — in addition to clearly supporting Ukraine — to find a way to prevent this war from continuing.”
“There will never be decisions taken over Ukraine’s head, and never without consultation with our closest partners,” he nevertheless said. assured.
The military and financial support for kyiv and the defense policy of Germany will be one of the subjects of the electoral campaign which should lead the country to early legislative elections on February 23.
Trump has more nuanced position on Ukraine than expected, says Scholz
Donald Trump has “a more nuanced position” on Ukraine than he is often credited with, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday, after speaking with the president-elect after his victory. “I got the impression that he has a more nuanced position than is often assumed here in this country,” he told the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung about the conversation.
Asked whether he feared a peace deal between Trump and Putin on Ukraine without Russia having a say in the country, Scholz sounded confident: “Nothing in the conversation [with Trump] suggested that.” According to the German Chancellor, “Putin has failed in Ukraine” and NATO “is stronger than ever.” “Contrary to what he announced at the beginning of the war, he has not succeeded in conquering the entire country,” he said.
During their telephone conversation on November 11, the German government officials announced that Trump and Scholz had said they were “ready to work together for the return of peace to Europe.”
Agence France-Presse