BERLIN, November 18. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the right decision in the face of criticism from many European counterparts.

"It was right to hold the talks," he said at a news conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, in remarks broadcast by NTV television.

At the same time, Scholz stated that "nothing has changed" in the Russian leader's position, which he said was "unacceptable."

Scholz called Putin on November 15. That was the first time they spoke by phone since December 2022. During the latest conversation, according to the Kremlin, they discussed Ukraine, the Middle East and bilateral relations between Moscow and Berlin. The president and the chancellor agreed to task their aides to maintain communication. According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Scholz’s call to Putin speaks to his political will to learn Moscow's position firsthand.