Putin, Scholz hold first talks in nearly two years - media

Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.

"Chancellor Scholz kept his promise and, after almost a two-year break, spoke with Russian President Putin again," the report stated.

Scholz has often expressed his willingness to talk to Putin in hopes of finding a way to end the war in Ukraine, and the Kremlin has made similar statements about Putin's openness to talks with Scholz. The details of the conversation have not been released yet.

The last phone call between the two leaders was on December 2, 2022.

As Bloomberg noted, the conversation comes at a critical time for Ukraine, as the country braces for its third winter under attack from Russia, with large parts of its energy infrastructure damaged or destroyed.

“Uncertainty over support from Western allies has also been growing ahead of Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House next year. Germany is Ukraine’s second-biggest supporter after the US and has pledged billions of euros in additional aid," Bloomberg adds.

• On November 11, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he is ready to resume talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in the near future.