At 4:33 p.m., the website of the German chancellery confirmed
that Scholz condemned Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine during the call
and urged Putin to withdraw Russian troops. Scholz also called on Russia to “be
ready for negotiations with Ukraine to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
The chancellor reiterated that Germany is prepared to
support Ukraine for as long as necessary. Before speaking with Putin, Scholz
also had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
German media outlet Spiegel
added that the phone call was confirmed by government circles. The last
conversation between Scholz and the Russian dictator took place in early
December 2022.
It remains unclear how long the phone call lasted or what
topics were discussed. However, Deutsche Welle, citing dpa, reports that the
conversation lasted approximately an hour.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Scholz planned to speak
with Putin on the same day. On Nov. 11, Scholz had mentioned that he could “soon”
call Putin. The chancellor emphasized that a conversation with the dictator
requires extensive contacts and noted that the situation in Ukraine must be
discussed before reaching out to Putin.