Scholz told how and why he spoke on the phone with Putin

At the annual meeting of the Rheinische Post publication in Dusseldorf, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz talked about his telephone conversations with Vladimir Putin.

The last time Scholz and Putin convened was in December of last year. According to the chancellor, “negotiations are coordinated with Germany’s allies, and then the need for another exchange of views is crystallized.” Scholz explained, “It’s not like I’m texting and asking if we want to talk again.” According to him, there is a special telephone connection for such purposes.

Conversations, as a rule, last about one and a half hours. According to the chancellor, sometimes leaders communicate in German, which the Russian president has mastered since his service as a KGB officer in the GDR. Sometimes Putin refuses to translate into Russian because he has already understood what Scholz said. “If it fits,” Putin says in German.

Scholz and Putin address each other as “Vy” (French President Emmanuel Macron and Putin, for example, address each other as “you”). According to Scholtz, the negotiations, despite the differences in positions, are conducted in a polite style. However, the chancellor emphasized that during the talks, “our extremely different positions regarding the war in Ukraine were absolutely clearly expressed.” Scholz noted: “I constantly make it clear to Putin that only Russia is responsible for the war. Russia baselessly attacked its neighbor in order to seize parts of Ukraine or the entire country. This fundamentally violates the European peace order.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are trying to maintain telephone contact with Moscow. For this, they were severely criticized by Kyiv.

Earlier, Scholz said that “talks are necessary in any case”. According to him, Putin needs to be constantly reminded of the West’s opinion about Russia’s “criminal war against Ukraine”.

Scholz did not say whether he would maintain telephone contact with Putin after an International Criminal Court arrest warrant was issued for the Russian leader. Germany recognizes the jurisdiction of this court and, according to the Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Germany, will have to arrest Putin if the Russian leader suddenly appears on its territory.