Germany’s Scholz calls not talking with Putin ‘absurd’
During a parliamentary inquiry, the German chancellor justified his recent phone call with the Russian president from the previous month. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The chancellor has defended last month’s phone conversation with the Russian president.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that it would be absurd for him not to engage in communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine conflict. He cautioned lawmakers in Berlin that Germany and other EU countries risked becoming irrelevant if they failed to maintain dialogue.
Scholz’s phone call with Putin in mid-November marked their first conversation in nearly two years. During the discussion, the German leader called on the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territories and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Kyiv “for as long as necessary.” In response, Putin attributed the escalation of hostilities in 2022 to NATO’s “long-standing aggressive policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian bridgehead on Ukrainian territory.”
As per a Kremlin readout, Putin also expressed a willingness to engage in talks with Ukraine, while insisting that new territorial realities must be acknowledged and that the “root causes of the conflict” needed addressing.
During a Q&A session in the German parliament on Wednesday, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union expressed skepticism about the call. Scholz countered, saying, “Everybody knows that it would be absurd and a sign of unbelievable political weakness, if we in Germany and in Europe now waited for others to conduct these phone conversations, and we sort of commented on the news shown on TV.”
He further asserted the necessity for Western European nations to communicate with Moscow, despite differing views.
Previously, Scholz had downplayed concerns that his outreach could undermine Western unity, emphasizing the importance of keeping diplomatic channels open and expressing his expectation to speak with Putin again.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the call between Scholz and Putin, suggesting it might weaken the Kremlin’s “isolation.”
In late November, Putin remarked that “there was nothing unusual” about his discussion with Scholz and noted that both leaders articulated their stances on the Ukraine conflict. He also mentioned that several other Western leaders were “willing to resume” dialogue and that he remained open to such approaches.
The phone conversation received mixed reactions across the West. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in a post on X that “no one will stop Putin with phone calls.” Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the significance of maintaining a “level of engagement with counterparts who in many cases we disagree with.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that it would be absurd for him not to engage in communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine conflict. He cautioned lawmakers in Berlin that Germany and other EU countries risked becoming irrelevant if they failed to maintain dialogue.
Scholz’s phone call with Putin in mid-November marked their first conversation in nearly two years. During the discussion, the German leader called on the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territories and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Kyiv “for as long as necessary.” In response, Putin attributed the escalation of hostilities in 2022 to NATO’s “long-standing aggressive policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian bridgehead on Ukrainian territory.”
As per a Kremlin readout, Putin also expressed a willingness to engage in talks with Ukraine, while insisting that new territorial realities must be acknowledged and that the “root causes of the conflict” needed addressing.
During a Q&A session in the German parliament on Wednesday, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union expressed skepticism about the call. Scholz countered, saying, “Everybody knows that it would be absurd and a sign of unbelievable political weakness, if we in Germany and in Europe now waited for others to conduct these phone conversations, and we sort of commented on the news shown on TV.”
He further asserted the necessity for Western European nations to communicate with Moscow, despite differing views.
Previously, Scholz had downplayed concerns that his outreach could undermine Western unity, emphasizing the importance of keeping diplomatic channels open and expressing his expectation to speak with Putin again.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the call between Scholz and Putin, suggesting it might weaken the Kremlin’s “isolation.”
In late November, Putin remarked that “there was nothing unusual” about his discussion with Scholz and noted that both leaders articulated their stances on the Ukraine conflict. He also mentioned that several other Western leaders were “willing to resume” dialogue and that he remained open to such approaches.
The phone conversation received mixed reactions across the West. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in a post on X that “no one will stop Putin with phone calls.” Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the significance of maintaining a “level of engagement with counterparts who in many cases we disagree with.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
