MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose contact was agreed upon by the leaders during their telephone conversation on Friday, have not yet contacted each other but may do so soon due to the strained situation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"Not yet," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked whether Putin's aide Yury Ushakov had already initiated contact with his German counterpart. "Although, of course, this will be arranged promptly. Especially since the president and the chancellor have agreed that there will be an exchange of views through the aides on a certain range of issues," Peskov said. He responded affirmatively to a question whether such contacts may occur before the end of the year: "Most likely, yes, we may assume."

"Of course, no one will delay this for long. Moreover, the situation is developing very dynamically and is extremely tense, requiring an exchange of views," the spokesman explained. When asked whether the contacts between the leaders' aides would become permanent, he responded, "Of course."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Putin on Friday, marking their first phone conversation since December 2022. According to the Kremlin, they discussed Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, and bilateral relations between Moscow and Berlin. The two leaders agreed that their aides would maintain communication.