The Kremlin said that in a phone call with German Chancellor Scholz, Russian President Putin made it clear that Moscow is ready for dialogue to resolve the conflict with Ukraine based on proposals announced by the country's Foreign Ministry in June.
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| Russian President Putin held a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after nearly two years of severing contact. (Source: AP) |
On November 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This was the first phone call between the two leaders in nearly two years.
The Kremlin described the conversation as “a detailed and frank exchange of opinions on the situation in Ukraine”, adding that “the nature of the dialogue was positive”.
Mr Scholz is the first Western leader to speak to President Putin by phone in nearly two years. The last phone call between the Russian and German leaders took place in December 2022 and the last time the two sides met in person in Moscow was on February 15, 2022.
Speaking to reporters, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that in a nearly hour-long phone call, German Chancellor Scholz called on Russia to conduct negotiations with Ukraine to achieve lasting peace, while affirming Berlin's determination to support Kiev "for as long as necessary."
In a statement posted on social network X, Chancellor Scholz asked the Russian President to end military operations in Ukraine, as well as demonstrate “readiness for negotiations” with Kiev. The two sides also agreed to maintain contact after the above phone call.
During a phone call with the Russian President, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also warned that Moscow's deployment of North Korean troops against Ukraine would further "escalate the situation".
For its part, the Kremlin said that during the phone call, the Russian President made it clear that Moscow is ready for dialogue to resolve the conflict with Ukraine based on proposals announced by the country's Foreign Ministry in June.
"Regarding the prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict, the Russian President noted that the Russian side has never refused and remains open to the possibility of resuming negotiations," the Kremlin statement stressed. Any agreement on the issue must take into account Russia's security interests.
In addition, the two sides also mentioned bilateral relations. The Russian President affirmed that his country always fulfills its obligations related to energy and is ready to cooperate if Berlin is interested.
Ukraine immediately reacted strongly to this development. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky likened the call to "opening Pandora's box" and giving Moscow what it wanted.
"We know how to act. We want to warn: there will be no Minsk-3 agreement. We need real peace," the Ukrainian leader stressed.
The Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 agreements, brokered by France and Germany, are expected to put an end to the fighting in eastern Ukraine and defuse tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The core provisions of these agreements are an immediate ceasefire and the parties agreeing to withdraw heavy weapons from the frontline. Full implementation of the Minsk agreements would rule out the possibility of Ukraine joining the NATO military alliance.
However, Russia accused Ukraine of not fully implementing the agreement and that the agreement was essentially a way for Kiev to "buy time", preparing for a larger conflict.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/divide-the-first-dialogue-between-the-two-russian-germany-leaders-in-nearly-2-years-moscow-if-conditions-for-a-talk-with-ukraine-293955.html
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