war in Ukraine
First phone call since May: Scholz resumes talks with Putin
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
© JENS SCHLUETER / AFP
Many weeks have passed since Chancellor Olaf Scholz last spoke to Kremlin boss Putin. Since then there have been numerous dramatic developments in the war zone. In a recent phone call, Scholz is now pushing for a diplomatic solution.
After several months, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin again for the first time. In the 90-minute conversation on Tuesday, Scholz insisted that a diplomatic solution to the Russian war in Ukraine be found as soon as possible, based on a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country Ukraine is based, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
“The Chancellor emphasized that any further Russian annexation steps would not go unanswered and would not be recognized under any circumstances,” Hebestreit continued. Initially, there was no information about the phone call from Moscow.
Akw Zaporischschja also discussed with Olaf Scholz
The Kremlin’s statement about the phone call did not indicate that Putin would give in. The president drew the chancellor’s attention to the “outrageous violations” by the Ukrainians of international humanitarian law, it said. The Ukrainian army is shelling cities in the Donbass and killing civilians there. In the dispute over gas supplies, Putin emphasized that Russia is a reliable supplier. However, Western sanctions prevented proper maintenance of the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1. Berlin considers this reason for the delivery stop via the pipeline, which has already been put forward several times, to be advanced.
According to a government spokesman, Scholz last spoke to Putin on the phone at the end of May. At that time, Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke together with the Russian President.
Since the phone call in May there have been further dramatic developments in the war zone. According to the federal government, the conversation on Tuesday also dealt with the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Scholz emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant occupied by Russian forces. Hebestreit announced that he had also called for any escalation steps to be avoided and for the measures recommended in the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be implemented immediately. Putin said that the Ukrainians are responsible for the danger of a nuclear accident because of their constant shelling of the nuclear power plant.
Another topic was the global food situation, which is particularly tense as a result of the Russian war of aggression. Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February. Since then, the country has been defending itself against the attackers, also with support from the West. In the past few days, Ukrainian troops have managed to regain large areas.
Editor’s note: Putin’s comments have been added to the third and fifth paragraphs.