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Scholz defends his phone call with Putin

Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz(Bild: APA/AFP/Odd ANDERSEN)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has defended his telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin against criticism. He said it was important to make it clear to Putin "that he should not expect the support of Germany, Europe and many others in the world for Ukraine to wane."

The "very detailed" conversation on Friday had "contributed to the realization that not much has changed in the Russian president's views on this war, which is not good news," said Scholz. On Friday afternoon, he spoke to Putin on the phone for the first time in almost two years and, according to his own statements, called on the Kremlin leader to "withdraw his troops" and be prepared to negotiate with the war opponent.

The Ukrainian government could continue to rely on the German government. "There will be no decision over the heads of Ukraine." In addition, "what we have announced will be delivered", said the German Chancellor on Sunday before departing for the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz currently has several construction sites.(Bild: APA/AFP/Odd ANDERSEN)

During the talks, the Kremlin is said to have mentioned its well-known demands for a possible agreement with Ukraine, including the relinquishment of four territories that Russian authorities had declared annexed without fully controlling them.

Kiev: "Attempt at appeasement"
The phone call was criticized by the Ukrainian and Polish governments and the German opposition, among others (see video above). "Nobody will stop Putin with phone calls," commented Poland's head of government Donald Tusk. Kiev said that Scholz was trying to appease Putin. Union foreign policy expert Jürgen Hardt accused the Chancellor of helping the Russian President to achieve a "propaganda success".

White House: "Sovereign country"
The German Greens question whether an election campaign as a "peace chancellor" is coming, which threatens to become insubstantial. There would be no need for "peace in the sense of truce".

The White House, on the other hand, does not see Ukraine being ignored. "Germany is a sovereign country that can do what it wants in terms of its international relations," said US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer. For him, this also includes a phone call with Putin.