Saturday 16/November/2024 – 04:42 AM
The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed, during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the need to take Moscow’s security interests into account when resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
On Friday, Putin and Schulz spoke by phone for nearly an hour, their first direct telephone conversation in nearly two years.
The Kremlin announced after the phone call that any potential agreements to resolve the conflict must be based on new regional realities.
According to the Kremlin, the phone call between Schulz and Putin regarding the war in Ukraine came at the initiative of Germany.
Putin expressed his openness to continuing negotiations to resolve the conflict, but according to the conditions previously set by Moscow, according to the Kremlin.
These conditions include Ukraine abandoning its aspirations to join NATO and recognizing the loss of territory claimed by Russia.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Shulz that the war was the result of years of NATO’s aggressive policy.
Putin accused the alliance of seeking to turn Ukraine into a deployment zone directed against Russia.
The Kremlin added that Putin also pointed out, during the conversation with Schulz, an unprecedented deterioration in Russian-German relations “as a result of the unfriendly path pursued by the German authorities.”
Putin reportedly told Schulz that Russia has always respected contracts on energy exports to Germany and is ready to resume mutually beneficial cooperation.
The Kremlin press service reported that Putin and Shulz also discussed the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and the two sides agreed on the need for their advisors to remain in contact.
How did the Ukrainian president comment on the call?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his anger at the phone call that took place between Schulz and Putin.
“In my opinion, Olaf’s call opens a Pandora’s box,” Zelensky said in a video message broadcast on social media platforms.
The Ukrainian president continued, saying: “Now there may be other talks and other calls, and this is exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time.”
He stressed that “it is necessary for him (Putin) to weaken his international isolation, and Russia’s isolation.”
Zelensky explained that talks with Putin “do not always lead to anything,” noting that he had been informed in advance that Schulz would speak with Putin.
