Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that a telephone conversation with the Russian president will only make President Vladimir Putin feel less isolated.
advertisementMr. Scholz met with President Putin for the first time in about two years, and informed Mr. Zelenskyy in advance of his intention to call the Russian leader.
Ukrainian media, citing undisclosed sources in the presidential palace, said Zelensky told Scholz that the conversation “will make President Putin feel less isolated.”
In a conversation with President Putin, the German Chancellor condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine and called for a halt to the fighting and the withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian territory.
“Russia must demonstrate its readiness to negotiate with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace,” Scholz reiterated in a post on X after the phone call.
The Prime Minister confirmed Berlin’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression, now in its third year.
President Zelenskiy accepts meeting between Scholz and Putin
In a speech Friday night, Zelensky criticized any negotiations that could reduce Russia’s isolation without producing meaningful results.
“Now there may be another conversation, another phone call. Just a lot of words. And this is exactly what Putin has wanted for many years,” Zelenskyy said.
“It is very important for President Putin to reduce his isolation, to reduce Russia’s isolation, and to have normal negotiations that don’t result in anything, as we have been doing for decades.
“This left Russia unable to change any policy and essentially do nothing. This is exactly what led to this war.”
In a statement from the Kremlin carried by the state-run TASS news agency, President Putin said any peace deal should recognize Russia’s territorial gains and security demands, including the abandonment of Kiev’s membership in NATO. It was also included.
Putin also emphasized that relations between Russia and Germany have deteriorated to an unprecedented extent and that Russia’s war in Ukraine is a direct result of NATO’s aggressive policies, the statement added.
President Putin and Russian officials have repeatedly blamed NATO for Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine in early 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leaders had a “detailed” and “frank” exchange of views, but added: “Nothing was said about convergence.”
Both sides agreed to maintain contact after the telephone conversation.
Issues casting a shadow on support for Ukraine
The new exchange between Scholz and Putin comes amid speculation about what President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration will mean for Ukraine.
advertisementPresident Trump has said he will reduce U.S. aid to Ukraine and aim to end the war with Russia within his first days in office.
Scholz is facing a political crisis in Germany, where he has called for a vote of confidence next month and early elections in February.
In a speech to Congress on Wednesday, Scholz said his Ukraine policy had helped Putin avoid further escalation of the full-scale conflict that he had been waging for years.
