Putin, Scholz hold first talks in two years. Germany urges troops withdrawal from Ukraine

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. He also stressed the importance of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a fair and lasting peace. Scholz reiterated Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression "for as long as it takes."

As noted by Süddeutsche Zeitung, 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 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.

What the Kremlin says

According to the Russian Telegram channel "Kremlin. News," during his call with Scholz, Putin said that “the current crisis was a direct result of NATO's long-standing aggressive policies, which aimed to create an anti-Russian stronghold in Ukraine.” He also accused NATO of ignoring Russia's security concerns and the rights of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine.

Putin expressed Russia's willingness to resume political negotiations, blaming the “Kyiv regime” for interrupting talks. He said that any future agreements must consider Russia's security needs and the new territorial realities.

The leaders also discussed the worsening of Russian-German relations, which Putin attributed to hostility from Berlin. He stated that Russia is ready to cooperate with Germany in the energy sector if Berlin is interested.

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