Scholz urges Putin to withdraw troops in phone call
In a phone call between the German Chancellor and Russian President, the latter was urged to completely withdraw his troops from Ukraine.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call during which Scholz called on Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine.
The German leader's spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said that "the chancellor urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops."
Scholz "condemned in particular Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and reiterated Germany's willingness to support Ukraine in assuring defense capabilities against Russian aggression" during the one-hour call.
The two leaders also discussed global food security, which is under threat as a result of the war.
Last September, Scholz urged Putin, in a 90-minute telephone call, to "come to a diplomatic solution as quickly as possible, based on a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Russian forces and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine".
It is worth noting that an opinion poll, conducted by the Washington Post in Germany, reveals popular opposition to their country's military intervention in Ukraine.
The newspaper concluded from the polls that energy prices are not the main issue. It turns out, as other polls have found, that while the Germans support Ukraine's fight against the Russian military operation, they believe that "Germany has already done enough."
