During the hour-long telephone conversation, the first in almost two years, Scholz also demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and confirmed Germany’s continued support for Ukraine.
“The Chancellor urged Russia to demonstrate its willingness to enter into talks with Ukraine in order to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the spokesman said in a statement. “He emphasized Germany’s steadfast determination to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary,” he added.
Any agreements must take into account the interests of the Russian Federation in the security sphere, based on new territorial realities, and the most important thing is to eliminate the root cause of the conflict
Kremlin statement
The Russian president’s office also commented on the conversation. “There was a detailed and honest exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin recalled that the current crisis is a direct result of many years of aggressive NATO policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian bridgehead on Ukrainian territory, while ignoring our country’s interests in the security sphere and violating the rights of Russian-speaking residents,” we read in the statement.
“Referring to the prospects for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict, the President of Russia noted that the Russian side has never refused and is still open to resuming negotiations interrupted by the regime in Kiev. Russia’s proposals are widely known and presented, among others, in a June speech at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Any agreements must take into account the interests of the Russian Federation in the security sphere, based on the new territorial realities, and the most important thing is to eliminate the root cause of the conflict,” the Kremlin assures.
