Scholz calls with Putin open ‘Pandora’s box,’ Ukraine’s Zelenskyy complains – POLITICO

In the phone call Friday, Scholz said exhorted Putin to “end” his war against Ukraine and to “withdraw troops.” The conversation lasted about an hour and was the first direct exchange between the two leaders in almost two years, German media reported.

“The Chancellor called on Russia to be prepared to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace,” a German government spokesman said in a statement. Scholz informed Zelenskyy about the call in advance, the spokesman said.

In recent months, Scholz has been pushing for another conference on peace in Ukraine, which would include Russia. An initial peace summit, without participation from the Kremlin, was organized in Switzerland in June.

Scholz and Putin agreed to stay in touch, according to a German official. The chancellor “underlined that the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia for combat missions against Ukraine is associated with a serious escalation and expansion of the conflict,” the official added.

Scholz has long tried to strike an awkward balance in Ukraine, claiming that Germany has provided more military aid to Kiev than any other European country, while portraying himself as a leader who can prevent war from breaking out of control.

Scholz and Putin last spoke in December 2022, 10 months after Russia’s leader launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.