Scholz Makes Statement About Putin

Conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin were conducted in a friendly tone, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was quoted by Frankfurter Rundschau. "They had a 'friendly' tone, but everyone knew that they had to be attentive to each other," he said.

Scholz also added that restoring relations with Russia will take a very long time. It is noteworthy that the first phone conversation between Putin and Scholz since December 2, 2022, took place on November 15, 2024, at the initiative of Berlin. They discussed the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, and bilateral relations. Putin himself, speaking about this conversation, told reporters that the participants exchanged opinions, but none of them were convinced.