Ukrainian president Zelenskyy reacts to Scholz's call to Putin

He expressed this opinion in his evening address on November 15.

“Olaf's call, in my view, is a Pandora's box. Now, there could be more calls, more conversations - just a lot of words,” Zelenskyy said.

He thinks Putin is open to negotiations to ease Russia's isolation. Zelenskyy said that past negotiations have never worked, and they won’t now either.

“It has allowed Russia to change nothing in its policy and to do nothing of substance, which is exactly what led to this war,” Zelenskyy stated.

He also made it clear that Ukraine would not accept a "Minsk-3" agreement, as the country needs real peace, not more empty talks.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed this statement. Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that conversations with the Russian dictator have no added value when it comes to achieving a just peace.

"Putin has used long talks for over 20 years to push his agenda. Now, they only help him feel less isolated," Tykhyi said.

He emphasized that only strong, concrete actions can push Putin toward peace, as he views negotiation and appeasement as signs of weakness, which he exploits for his own gain.

• On Friday, November 15, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first phone call in nearly two years. According to the German government press service, during the conversation, Scholz condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine and urged Putin to end the fighting and withdraw Russian troops.