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Scholz describes his phone call with Putin as important and detailed

"The conversation was detailed but revealed that little has changed in the Russia president’s views. This is not good news," Scholz said

BERLIN, November 17. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin as important and detailed but noted that he saw not a single hint to any change in Moscow’s position on Ukraine.

"It was important," he told journalists in Berlin before leaving for Brazil to the Group of Twenty summit. According to the German chancellor, he gave Putin to understand that the West’s support for Kiev will not weaken.

"The conversation was detailed but revealed that little has changed in the Russia president’s views. This is not good news," Scholz said.

"I don’t think that it will be a good idea to organize talks between the American and Russian president soon while the head of government of one of Europe’s leading countries doesn’t engage in talks. Some people in Germany think it right but I am not among them," he said.

According to the German leader, he "was seeking to speak" with the Russian president. "You are my witnesses because you heard me saying many times that I would speak with the Russian leader again soon. I was said long ago and I discussed these plans in many talks with many people," he said.

He noted that many believe that the conflict in Ukraine can easily be settled. But, in his words, this is possible only when Moscow drops its declared goals. "But there are no signs of this," he stated and promised Kiev to continue its support, recalling that Germany is the largest arms supplier to Ukraine. "We will supply everything we have promised," Scholz pledged.

On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was their first phone call since early December 2022. According to the Kremlin press service, the leaders discussed Ukraine, the Middle East conflict, bilateral relations between Moscow and Berlin. Putin and Scholz agreed that their aides will continue communication. According to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, Scholz’s call to Putin speaks about the political will to learn Moscow’s position firsthand.

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Vladimir Putin Olaf Scholz

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