Ukraine’s Zelensky cautioned Scholz against calling Putin, Kyiv source says

President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz against speaking to Vladimir Putin by phone on Nov 15, saying it would reduce the Russian leader's isolation and keep the war going, a source in Ukraine's presidential office said.

A German government spokesperson said Mr Scholz urged President Putin to begin talks with Kyiv that would open the way for a “just and lasting peace”, as the leaders held their first phone call since December 2022 as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

The source in Kyiv told Reuters that Mr Scholz, a close ally of Ukraine during the war with Russia, informed Mr Zelensky in advance of his plans to speak to the Russian leader.

"The chancellor told our president he plans to talk to Putin. The President said this would only help Putin by reducing his isolation. Putin doesn't want real peace, he wants a break," the source said.

"Talking to him will let Putin change the scenery and keep the war going. It won’t bring peace because Putin will just repeat the lies he’s been telling for years, making it seem like he’s no longer isolated," the source said.

In a one-hour phone conversation, Mr Scholz demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and reaffirmed Germany's continued support for Ukraine, the German spokesman said.
Berlin is a major Ukrainian financial backer and its largest provider of weapons after the United States, whose future support for Kyiv appears uncertain following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election this month. REUTERS