Scholz and Putin's tense call: Chancellor demands troop withdrawal
In mid-November, Olaf Scholz had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. The chancellor then faced a wave of criticism. Scholz reveals that the conversation with the Russian dictator was "unpleasant."
11:19 AM EST, November 26, 2024
In a conversation with ZDF, Scholz shared details of the phone call, emphasizing that it "was not pleasant" but "responsible and necessary."
Putin "did not step back"
The German Chancellor recalled meeting with Putin before the war began and expressing his position, clearly indicating that Putin's later justifications for the war "do not correspond to reality."
Scholz noted that he had multiple phone conversations with the Kremlin leader until the end of 2022, and none of those talks "were easy or pleasant." According to him, the situation during the last conversation "did not change," yet he "considers such dialogues important."
He added that some believe peace can be quickly achieved with just one phone call. However, Scholz described such expectations as "illusory" and emphasized that "Putin has not changed his stance and has not stepped back even a bit."
“All the arguments were essentially repeated again. And for me, it was clear that I had to repeat mine as well. So, Putin, don't expect us to reduce our support. You need to find a way out of this war. You must stop your attacks and withdraw your troops,” the chancellor explained.
Scholz's talks with Putin
On November 15, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the Kremlin leader for the first time in two years.
During the conversation, the chancellor condemned Russia's actions in the war against Ukraine, urged the dictator to withdraw troops, and addressed the issue of potential negotiations with Kyiv.
