BERLIN, December 2. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a telephone conversation on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the two leaders discussed the conflict in Ukraine and its consequences, Federal Government Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.
Commenting on the telephone call that lasted about an hour, the German spokesperson said, "The Chancellor first condemned Russia’s airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and re-asserted Germany’s determination to help Ukraine prop up its defenses. In his conversation with the Russian president, the Chancellor insisted that a diplomatic solution must be found as soon as possible, which would include a Russian troop pullout."
The two leaders also discussed the global food crisis, Hebestreit noted, adding that the situation with food products worldwide was "particularly tense" over the developments in Ukraine. "The Chancellor and President Putin stressed the important role of the recently extended grain deal reached under the auspices of the UN," he said.
According to Hebestreit, Scholz and Putin agreed to maintain communication.
In its review of the dialogue earlier on Friday, the Kremlin said that Putin had told Scholz how destructive the policies of Germany and other Western countries were, as they "have been flooding the Kiev regime with weapons and training Ukrainian troops." Moscow believes that "all this, as well as comprehensive political and financial support for Ukraine encourage Kiev to outright reject the very idea of talks." According to the Kremlin, it also prompts radical Ukrainian nationalists to commit more heinous crimes against civilians. The Russian leader called on Berlin to "revisit their approaches in the context of what has been happening in Ukraine."
The phone call was held at Germany’s initiative. Putin and Scholz last talked on the phone on September 13.