Russian Leader Open to Talks, but Still Demands Territory Control
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed willingness to negotiate with Germany and Ukraine. However, he still insists that Russia can keep the territories it took during the war.
Putin recently spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time in two years. Reuters reported this conversation. Western leaders had stopped talking to Putin after the start of the war in Ukraine. Only Donald Trump continued to speak with him, asking him not to escalate the conflict. After their call, Russia launched a big attack on Ukraine with many drones.
Scholz and Putin spoke for about an hour. The German government said that Scholz condemned Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine and asked Putin to stop them. He also urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to find peace.
The German government added that Scholz promised to continue supporting Ukraine as long as needed. Before talking to Putin, Scholz spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and will talk to him again after this conversation.
According to the Kremlin, both sides had a detailed discussion about Ukraine’s situation. Putin told Scholz that Russia was open to negotiations, but only if new territorial realities were considered. He also said that NATO’s actions were the reason for the current crisis in Ukraine.
Putin criticized Germany and Russia’s relations, saying they have been bad for years due to Germany’s unfriendly policies.