**Germany’s Chancellor May Meet with Russian President**
German Defense Spokesperson Criticizes Potential Meeting
Roderich Kiesewetter, defense spokesperson for Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of February. This meeting would take place before Germany’s parliamentary elections on February 23.
Kiesewetter criticized the potential meeting, saying it could harm Ukraine. He warned that any negotiations at this time “are at the expense of Ukraine and de facto mean submission.” Kiesewetter also questioned Scholz’s stance on negotiating with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
**Ukraine Conflict Continues**
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian forces lost up to a battalion of soldiers and suffered 1,510 casualties over the past day. The Russian army also carried out drone attacks on Ukraine, killing one person and injuring four others.
**Other News**
In other news, Slovakia’s state-controlled transmission system operator SEPS said it will continue supplying electricity to Ukraine as part of an emergency assistance contract. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen canceled engagements for the first half of January due to a case of severe pneumonia.
The international community continues to react to the ongoing conflict. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Russia is revealing its inevitable outcome – betrayal and isolation. Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that China engaged Russia, saying “don’t go there.”