The first telephone conversation in two years between Scholz and Putin

German journalist Charlotte Waaijers:

“This is not the first time that Scholz has contacted Putin about the war. Shortly before the attack in 2022, he traveled to Moscow, without success, to talk to Putin. After that attack they called each other several times, but from the German side said that this was not necessary and the talks stopped.

Why Scholz now thinks conversation is useful again has not been revealed. In any case, he did not take this step without talking to Western friends and he would also have talked to Zelensky.

In any case, the timing is interesting. With the election of Trump, vital US support to Ukraine has become uncertain. That puts pressure on other allies, with Germany being the second biggest aid provider. Trump has said that he can end the war quickly, but it is not yet clear how.

Scholz told a German newspaper that he would rather talk to Putin than just speculate about his thoughts. He also says that he previously had a surprisingly good phone conversation with Trump, in which he also discussed Ukraine. He would have heard no indication that Trump would want a deal at the expense of Ukraine.

The step corresponds to the image that Scholz wants to paint of himself in Germany, as Chancellor of peace. This will also play a role in the preparation of the upcoming elections, as there is still a large group of peaceful Germans. Some of them choose parties such as the AfD and BSW, because they promise to stop what they see as the ‘war policy’ of the German government.”