by calling Putin, Scholz “opened Pandora’s box”, deplores Zelensky

INTERNATIONAL – A highly symbolic appeal. After almost two years of silence, Vladimir Putin and Olaf Scholz called each other this Friday, November 15. The opportunity for the German chancellor to press the Russian leader to show his “desire to begin negotiations with Ukraine with a view to a just and lasting peace”.

The German Chancellor also reiterated to the Russian leader “ determination » of Germany and the EU to support Ukraine “ as long as necessary ». However, this exchange provoked the anger of Ukraine which saw in it “ an attempt at appeasement » towards Moscow, at a time when it finds itself weakened on the front.

This call “opens Pandora’s box”alerted Volodymyr Zelensky in a video posted on social networks, explaining that “ there can now be other conversations and other phone calls”. He continued: “this is exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation, the isolation of Russia, and to conduct ordinary negotiations that will lead to nothing.”

“We want to warn you: there will be no +Minsk-3+. We need real peace”then added Volodymyr Zelensky, in reference to a potential agreement to freeze the conflict.

The Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 agreements were signed in September 2014 and February 2015 between kyiv and pro-Russian separatists supported by Moscow, who had seized large swathes of territory in eastern Ukraine. These agreements had led to several more or less respected ceasefires on the front but had not succeeded in resolving the conflict between kyiv and the pro-Russian separatists. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

End the war in Ukraine in 2025

In an interview with Ukrainian radio, broadcast this Saturday, November 16, Volodymyr Zelensky declared: “We must do everything to ensure that this war ends next year. We must end it by diplomatic means”. Asked about the conditions necessary for the opening of negotiations, the Ukrainian leader estimated that this would only be possible if “ Ukraine is not alone with Russia » and if she is “ forte »in a call to its Western partners.

For its part, Russia regularly repeats that it is open to negotiations but with “ concessions » on the part of kyiv: the cession of the Ukrainian territories that Moscow annexed in 2022 without fully controlling them. A condition deemed unthinkable by kyiv.

The G7 countries estimated this Saturday that Russia remained “ the only obstacle to a just and lasting peace”. “We remain united alongside Ukraine”they assured in a statement released by Italy which chairs the G7 this year. But kyiv fears losing the support of the United States, essential for its army, after the victory of Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election in November.

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