German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that his Friday discussion with Vladimir Putin provided no indication of a shift in the Russian president’s thinking regarding the war in Ukraine, but he defended his much-criticized decision to call the Kremlin.
Scholz’s one-hour conversation with Putin, their first direct communication in almost two years, comes three months before the upcoming snap elections in which the highly unpopular chancellor faces a tough challenge from both left- and right-wing populists demanding a resumption of diplomacy, Reuters reports.
Critics, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have argued that the call was a breach of Western solidarity for domestic political gain.
"It was important to tell him (Putin - ed.) that he cannot count on Germany's, Europe's, and many others' support, which is waning," Scholz told reporters.
"The conversation was very detailed but contributed to the recognition that little has changed in the Russian president's views on the war - and that's not good news."
The call comes amid signs of increased contacts between Western leaders and the Kremlin, even as Russia makes small but steady gains on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal and NATO member, attended a BRICS summit in Russia, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to participate in a security summit in Malta, an EU member, in December.
Donald Trump, now reelected as US President, has claimed he can swiftly end the war and has appointed to his cabinet some security figures seen as more Moscow-friendly than their predecessors.
This has implications for Europe, Scholz said.
"From my point of view, it wouldn't be a good idea if there were discussions between the American and Russian presidents and the leader of a major European country did not do the same," he said.