First Time in 2 Years: Putin and Scholz Spoke on The Phone

German Chancellor and the Russian President held a telephone call; the last one was in December 2022, Orda.kz reports .

During the conversation, Olaf Scholz condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and called on Putin to withdraw troops and negotiate with Zelenskyy for the sake of a "just and lasting peace."

At the same time, he emphasized that Germany is ready to help Ukraine as much as it needs.

He also said that he spoke with the President of Ukraine before the call and intends to talk with him again afterward.

The Kremlin, in turn, commented on the telephone conversation between the two leaders “at the initiative of the German side.”

Vladimir Putin recalled that the current crisis was a direct result of NATO's long-standing aggressive policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian foothold on Ukrainian territory while ignoring our country's security interests and trampling on the rights of Russian-speaking residents, they wrote.

The Kremlin claims Russia has never refused and remains open to negotiations. The agreements must take into account Russia's interests in security and, most importantly, eliminate the root causes of the conflict.

Regarding Russian-German relations, Putin “stated their unprecedented degradation in all areas as a consequence of the unfriendly course of the German authorities.”

Meanwhile, President Volodomyr Zelenskyy criticized the call, saying this risks opening a "Pandora's Box."

This has allowed Russia to change nothing in its policy, to do nothing in essence, and this is exactly what led to this war, Zelenskyy said.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova