By The Moscow Times | Created at 2024-10-01 12:40:47 | Updated at 2024-10-02 02:43:31
14 hours ago
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to hold his first phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in nearly two years, the German weekly Die Zeit reported Tuesday, citing anonymous government sources in Berlin.
Although not yet officially requested, sources told Die Zeit that the phone call is being considered ahead of the G20 summit in Brazil this November. The report did not specify what Scholz hopes to discuss with Putin.
The Kremlin has not commented on the possibility of talks between the two leaders.
Scholz and Putin last spoke in December 2022, several months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During that conversation, the German chancellor urged Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine and pursue a diplomatic solution to end the war.
The possible phone conversation between the two leaders comes as Ukraine finds itself under increasing pressure from the West to negotiate some kind of settlement with Russia. Ukraine’s military is struggling to restore its depleted ranks, while Russian forces continue their relentless advance in eastern Ukraine, inching closer to the logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the United States, where he had hoped to receive permission to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike deep inside Russia, as well as secure more robust security guarantees from Kyiv’s Western allies. However, he returned home empty-handed on those two central issues.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
