Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized a recent call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming it opens a “Pandora’s box” that undermines attempts to isolate Russia’s leader.
Zelensky stated, “This is exactly what Putin has been wanting for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation and engage in negotiations that lead nowhere,” referring to Scholz’s call, which was the first conversation between the two leaders in two years.
The call comes as Scholz prepares for a snap election and while Europe awaits the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed strategy for ending the war in Ukraine. During the call, Scholz urged Putin to withdraw his forces from Ukraine and open talks with Kyiv to pave the way for a “just and lasting peace,” according to the German government.
However, the Kremlin claimed the conversation occurred at Berlin’s request and asserted that any agreement to conclude the war must consider Russia’s security interests and reflect “new territorial realities.”
Zelensky and other European officials had warned Scholz against engaging with Putin, believing it was more for domestic political reasons. As Scholz faces a snap election on February 23, his party is experiencing pressure from Russia-friendly populist factions advocating for more diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
A German government spokesperson confirmed that Scholz expressed Germany’s steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Despite this, Zelensky remarked that discussions with Putin yield little value in achieving a peaceful resolution. “This call allowed Russia to change nothing in its policy… and this is exactly what led to this war,” he said during his evening address.
The conversation took place after Trump’s electoral victory, raising concerns among Western diplomats about its timing. “It sends a bad signal especially after Trump’s election,” one diplomat commented, suggesting it might portray Scholz as ineffective given that Putin is unyielding.
Scholz intends to brief Zelensky, Germany’s allies, and leaders of the European Union and NATO regarding the outcomes of the call, with both leaders agreeing to maintain communication.
Amid challenging frontline conditions in Ukraine, characterized by shortages of arms and personnel, Russian forces have been making steady progress. Additionally, Scholz noted the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia as a serious escalation of the conflict.
Germany has provided approximately 15 billion euros in financial, humanitarian, and military assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war, making it Kyiv’s second-largest supporter after the United States. The future of U.S. aid to Ukraine remains uncertain following Trump’s election.
Scholz and Putin last spoke in December 2022, marking their first communication since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has plunged relations with the West into their lowest point since the Cold War.
Credit: CNN
