German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to maintain telephone contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the experiences so far are sobering, mutual accusations formed the last conversation in early December.
Scholz had condemned the Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Putin, on the other hand, spoke of a “destructive line of Western states, including Germany”, which supported the Ukrainian army with weapons and trained its forces. “We have completely different opinions. Nevertheless, I will continue to talk to him because I want to experience the moment when it is possible to get out of the situation. And that doesn’t work if you don’t talk to each other,” Scholz said in Potsdam on Saturday.
“We saw brutality”
The German chancellor had been on the phone with Putin every few weeks since the start of the war. The “really depressing” thing for him is that despite the huge losses on his own side, the Russian ruler is still trying to take Ukrainian territory by force. As many as 100,000 Russian soldiers may have already died. “That’s quite a lot when you compare it to other wars,” Scholz said. The Kremlin chief has shown what he is capable of in previous wars in Chechnya and Syria. “We have seen what brutality the Russian president is capable of.”
But the talks would always be polite, the chancellor added. For example, none of them would yell. Putin speaks very good German, Scholz wants to learn Russian.
As reported, the Russian army reported advance into eastern Ukraine on Saturday. Reciprocal attacks are reported in the Kharkiv region in the north, and Russian drone strikes in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa caused massive blackouts.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
