German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin 'in due course'
After Moscow pushed troops into Ukraine in February of last year, relations between Russia and Germany froze
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Reuters File
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “in due course,” restoring communication after a near-complete collapse in relations since the Ukraine crisis.
“My last telephone call was some time ago,” Scholz told the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper in an interview published Friday. “But I plan to speak to Putin again in due course.”
The leaders last communicated via phone in early December.
Related Articles
Scholz asked Putin to remove Moscow’s soldiers from Ukraine during the hour-long talk, while the Russian leader accused the West of adopting “destructive” policies.
Since then, tensions between Moscow and Berlin have only grown, notably following Scholz’s government’s decision in January to allow German-made heavy combat tanks to be supplied to Ukraine.
Scholz stated in the interview that his goal was to “actively support Ukraine” but “at the same to prevent a direct conflict between NATO and Russia”
“And never to act alone, but in close coordination with our friends and allies,” he said.
Asked about the prospect of halting the conflict through negotiations, Scholz said that Putin had to understand that the war could not be ended by making “some kind of cold peace”.
“For instance, by turning the current front line into the new ‘border’ between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
“Rather it is about a fair peace, and the prerequisite for that is the withdrawal of Russian troops,” he added.
After Moscow pushed troops into Ukraine in February of last year, relations between Russia and Germany froze.
The invasion, as well as Moscow’s decision to reduce gas supplies to Europe, affected Germany especially hard since the country had grown to rely on cheap Russian energy to fuel its economy.
Germany has abandoned its usual pacifist attitude in response to the war, providing a barrage of weapons to assist Kyiv in its struggle against Moscow.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
also read
Ukraine President Zelenskiy thanks Germany for support in war against Russia
Zelenskiy arrived in Berlin from Rome, where he met separately on Saturday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis. The pope indicated that the Vatican would help in the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken by Russians
Patriot missile defense system in Ukraine likely damaged by Russian hit, say US sources
The Patriot system is one of a slew of powerful air defence systems delivered by the West to assist Ukraine in repelling a Russian air attack campaign that has targeted important infrastructure, power plants, and other locations
France pledges more military aid for Ukraine after Zelenskyy makes surprise Paris visit to meet Macron
Emmanuel Macron of France and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine held a three-hour meeting in the French presidential Elysee Palace. The meeting was kept secret until the Ukrainian leader arrived in Paris from Germany aboard a French government plane to continue his extensive European tour