Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced his anger over Friday’s uncommon telephone name between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting that such talks “always lead to nowhere.”
“In my view, Olaf’s call opens Pandora’s box,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a video message shared on social media.
“Now, there could be more talks, more calls… and that’s exactly what Putin has been aiming for. It’s vital for him to break his international isolation, Russia’s isolation.”
Scholz and Putin spoke for an hour on Friday, marking their first dialog in practically two years.
Zelenskyy mentioned he had been knowledgeable of the dialog prematurely.
During the decision, Scholz warned Putin that the deployment of North Korean troops for fight in Russia or Ukraine could be a “serious escalation and expansion of the conflict,” German authorities sources instructed dpa.
The chancellor additionally emphasised that Germany’s help for Ukraine in its battle towards the Russian invasion is long-term and that Putin can not rely on “time being on his side.”
German authorities spokesman Steffen Hebestreit mentioned Scholz demanded that Russia withdraw troops from Ukraine, finish the struggle, and urged Putin “to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of a just and lasting peace.”
“The chancellor reaffirmed Germany’s continued and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine,” Hebestreit mentioned.
Shortly earlier than Friday’s dialog with Putin, nonetheless, Scholz reiterated to parliament that Germany wouldn’t provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, which Ukraine has repeatedly requested.
According to the Kremlin, Putin expressed his willingness to barter with Scholz – however solely below circumstances favorable to Russia.
He demanded that any decision to the battle have in mind Moscow’s safety pursuits and “be based on the new territorial realities,” referring to Russia’s navy occupation of serious elements of japanese and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s acknowledged circumstances additionally included Ukraine renouncing its aspirations for NATO membership and recognizing the lack of territories claimed by Russia, in keeping with the Kremlin.
The Ukrainian authorities has categorically rejected these calls for.
In the decision with Scholz, Putin additionally famous the unprecedented deterioration in Russian-German relations “as a result of the unfriendly course of the German authorities,” the Kremlin added.
Scholz is searching for to carry a second Ukraine peace convention, this time together with Russian officers, following an preliminary summit in Switzerland final summer time. So far, nonetheless, there isn’t a date in sight.
Relations between Russia and NATO nations, together with Germany, have been severely strained since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Scholz final spoke to Putin on the telephone in December 2022, when Scholz referred to as for a diplomatic resolution to the battle and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine throughout an hour-long dialogue.
Russia launched its all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
Scholz traveled to Moscow simply over every week earlier than Putin launched the invasion. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2 leaders sat 2 meters aside at a big oval desk within the Kremlin.
Scholz will attend a G20 summit in Brazil early subsequent week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov can be anticipated to attend the gathering of main financial powers.
That assembly might have prompted the dialogue between Scholz and Putin. The Russian president had initially mentioned he would attend the summit however canceled final month, saying he didn’t need to “disrupt the normal work of the forum.”
Putin is the topic of a global arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged struggle crimes in Ukraine. He dangers arrest in Brazil.
Ukraine will not be a member of the G20, and Zelenskyy was not invited as a visitor to Rio de Janeiro by the Brazilian hosts.
Scholz will not be planning any direct talks with Lavrov in the course of the summit. However, in keeping with sources near Scholz, he does plan to debate the Ukraine struggle with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is taken into account Putin’s most essential ally.
Ukrainian forces have confronted intense stress from relentless Russian assaults alongside the entrance traces in current months and now face uncertainty over continued help from the United States following Donald Trump’s victory in final week’s U.S. presidential election.
Trump, who will take workplace in January, has repeatedly expressed skepticism about U.S. support to Ukraine and signaled his curiosity in talks with Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Russia senses nervousness within the West concerning Ukraine, however mentioned it could be untimely to talk of modifications in stances towards the battle.
“There are official statements from European representatives who are talking about continuing their general line of providing all kinds of support. And in Russian, that means pumping weapons into Ukraine to continue this war to the end,” Peskov mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com