According to Olaf Scholz, who spoke to him on the phone, “Putin has not changed his mind” on the war in Ukraine

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, criticized for his telephone interview with Vladimir Putin, reaffirmed this Sunday, November 17, Germany's unfailing support for Ukraine, ensuring that no decision on the outcome of the war led by Russia would be taken without kyiv. “Ukraine can count on us”It is “this principle prevails, and no decision will be taken over the head of Ukraine”the chancellor said at Berlin airport before flying to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Olaf Scholz defended the telephone exchange he had on Friday with the Russian president, the first in almost two years. “It was important to tell him that he should not count on the fact that support for Ukraine from Germany, Europe and many others around the world will weaken”explained the German leader.

Donald Trump's promises to end the war in Ukraine, without explaining how, also justify this diplomatic gesture: this “wouldn't it be a good idea if, in the near future, there were discussions between the American president and the Russian president without the head of an important European country”Germany in this case, “also leads discussions himself”defended the chancellor.

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“Not good news”

The telephone interview angered kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticizing Olaf Scholz for opening the “Pandora’s box”.

L’Ukraine “legitimately defends its independence and sovereignty”and she can count on “many friends around the world, and especially in Germany”by far Ukraine's greatest support in Europe, including in terms of military aid and arms deliveries, insisted the chancellor.

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His conversation with Putin “showed that the Russian president has not changed much of his mind on this war, which is not good news”and noticed Olaf Scholz.

“No one will stop Putin with phone calls”wrote Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk this Sunday on the social network “Last night's attack, one of the largest in this war, proved that telephone diplomacy cannot replace genuine support for Ukraine from across the West.”.

Now deprived of a majority in Parliament, Olaf Scholz is weakened and wants to run for a second term in early elections in Germany in February, as he reaffirmed this Sunday, despite calls in his camp for him to cede the place for the popular Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius.