**Polish President Criticizes German Chancellor’s Call with Putin**
Polish President Andrzej Duda has called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz‘s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin a “mistake”. This comes after Scholz spoke with Putin for the first time in nearly two years on November 15.
Duda said that Russia is “brutally attacking Ukraine” and that it was wrong for the leader of a strong European economy to hold talks with the aggressor. He also expressed doubt that the conversation had been agreed upon with allies.
**Other Leaders React**
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Scholz’s call with Putin opens up new possibilities for other conversations and calls, which could lead to unwanted consequences. Duda shared similar concerns, saying he thought it was a mistake for the German Chancellor to speak with Putin.
**History of Talks**
The last time Ukraine and Russia held talks was in March 2022, when they met in Minsk and Istanbul. However, these negotiations were eventually abandoned after Ukrainian forces regained control of their territory and discovered mass war crimes.
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