Scholz and Putin hold phone conversation

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Vladimir Putin, RIA Novosti reports citing the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

"Scholz is calling Putin. This is the first telephone conversation between the Federal Chancellor and the Russian President in almost two years. The conversation took place after a long preparation," the publication writes.

The DPA agency claims that the conversation lasted an hour.

Not one of the parties has officially confirmed the fact of the negotiations.

Scholz announced his plans to talk to the Russian leader earlier this week in an interview with the ARD television channel. He explained that the "right time" for a conversation with Putin would soon come. The Chancellor noted that he has long been conducting numerous contacts that should precede such a dialogue.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, noted that Moscow has not yet received any signals from Berlin about preparing for a conversation. At the same time, he recalled that Putin had once again demonstrated his openness to all contacts at the Valdai Forum.

According to the official website of the Russian president, the last conversation between Putin and Scholz to date took place on December 2, 2022, and its main topic was the situation in Ukraine.

Kremlin statements on the conversation between Putin and Scholz:

The conversation took place at the initiative of the German side;

Putin and Scholz had a detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine in a telephone conversation;

Possible agreements on Ukraine must be based on new territorial realities and eliminate the root causes of the conflict, Putin told Scholz;

The Russian president noted in a conversation with Scholz the unprecedented degradation of Russian-German relations;

Putin pointed out to Scholz that the current situation in Ukraine was a direct result of NATO's aggressive policy;

Putin informed Scholz about Russia's efforts to de-escalate and find peaceful solutions to the crisis in Ukraine;

Putin informed Scholz about Russia's efforts to de-escalate and find peaceful solutions to the crisis in Ukraine;

Putin told Scholz that Russia is open to resuming negotiations on Ukraine, which were interrupted by the Kiev regime;

They discussed the worsening situation in the Middle East over the phone;

Putin and Scholz agreed that their assistants would be in touch following the conversation