German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 15. This was the first contact between leaders in almost two years.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung and Reuters , citing sources in the German government, the conversation lasted about an hour. DPA news agency notes that no other details have been disclosed.
The preliminary conversation between Scholz and Putin took place in December 2022. At that time, German Chancellor called on the Russian leader to immediately end the war and withdraw troops from Ukraine.
The latest personal talks between Scholt and Putin took place on February 15, 2022 - just a few days before Russia's full -scale invasion of Russia. Since then, official contacts between leaders have been limited to statements and indirect actions through diplomatic channels.
This phone call took place against the backdrop of a continuing war in Ukraine, as well as in the midst of international efforts to support Kiev by allies. Germany remains one of the key partners of Ukraine, providing military, financial and humanitarian assistance.
The conversation occurred in the face of increased tension between the European Union and Russia due to prolonged Kremlin aggression.
