Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: For the first time, Prime Minister Netanyahu is signaling that he wants to end the war on Gaza
Israeli Channel 12, citing an American source: We want to have entered a path toward captive release and a ceasefire before Netanyahu arrives in Washington
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One martyr and two injured in the Israeli airstrike that targeted a motorcycle in the town of Mahrouna
Al Mayadeen correspondent to Southern Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle between the towns of Jwayya and Mahrouna.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One martyred in the Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Kawnin
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone targets a car in the town of Kawnin
Naeini: If our national interests are attacked again, our response this time will be stronger and more destructive
Naeini: The war has proven that the settlers are defenseless against Iranian missile and drone forces
Naeini: Trump lacks an understanding of the true strength of the Iranian people and is so deluded as to believe he can change the reality of Iran's victory
Naeini: The defeat led to Trump's confusion and loss of balance, which was reflected in his ill-considered statements

Zelensky berates top ally Scholz over call with Putin

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 16 Nov 2024 11:11
  • 1 Shares
5 Min Read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voices dissatisfaction over the head of a sovereign nation communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Listen
  • x
  • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference during the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, November 7, 2024 (AP)
    Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference during the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, November 7, 2024 (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized a recent phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a "Pandora's box" that undermines international efforts to isolate the Russian leader. 

"This is exactly what Putin has been wanting for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation," Zelensky stated, warning that the call risks giving Russia a foothold in negotiations that he claims may yield little progress.

Friday's conversation marked the first time Scholz had spoken to Putin in two years.

Putin has not talked with most NATO and Western leaders since 2022 when the EU and US slapped heavy sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine, yet he maintains contact with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is skeptical of Western policy toward Russia, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The German chancellor pressed Putin to withdraw his forces from Ukraine and urged him to engage in peace talks with Kiev, with the goal of achieving what Germany calls a "just and lasting peace," according to a German government spokesperson.

Russian territories must be recognized

Putin, however, reportedly told Scholz that any peace agreement must recognize Russia's security interests and the "new territorial realities," as per the Kremlin's statement.

The Kremlin statement revealed that the call was held "on the initiative of the German side," asserting that the aides of Putin and Scholz will be in touch.

During the call, Putin stressed that Russia has never rejected and is still willing to resume talks on Ukraine. 

"The Russian side has never refused and remains open to resuming the negotiations that were interrupted by the Kiev regime. Russia's proposals are well known and were outlined, in particular, in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in June," the statement explained.

Related News

1,200 soldiers from 4 NATO states train river crossing in Germany

At NATO summit, Trump signals Iran nuclear deal, discusses Ukraine

Meanwhile, a German government spokesperson said in a written statement, “The Chancellor urged Russia to be prepared to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace."

Sources familiar with the call told Reuters that Zelensky and other European officials had previously advised Scholz against it, suggesting the move may have been politically motivated.

Mounting pressures

The chancellor faces a snap election on February 23, and his Social Democrat party has been under pressure from domestic populist factions advocating for diplomacy over prolonged military engagement.

"The chancellor urged Russia to show willingness to enter talks with Ukraine," a German government spokesperson stated, stressing that Germany remains committed to supporting Ukraine "for as long as necessary" against Russia.

Zelensky, however, dismissed the call's effectiveness, arguing that it enabled Russia to maintain its policies unchanged. "This made it possible for Russia to do nothing in essence, and this is exactly what led to this war," he stated in his nightly address.

The call also came just days after US President-elect Donald Trump's victory. Trump had hinted he could quickly end the war, though he has yet to specify how, and has repeatedly criticized Western aid levels to Ukraine.

"It sends a bad signal, especially after Trump's election," one Western diplomat told Reuters, revealing that some allied countries had advised Berlin against the call.

"My hope is that Scholz can now say to his electorate, ‘look, I have done it, and it's a waste of time as Putin isn't open to anything.' But it's also a question of how Russia spins it," the diplomat added.

Europe seeks last-minute Ukraine support from Biden: Bloomberg

Europe has made a final appeal to the outgoing Biden administration to boost US support for Ukraine to strengthen Kiev's position as much as possible before the presidential term ends in January.

According to Bloomberg, European leaders and officials have asked the US to provide more weapons and artillery to Ukraine, impose additional sanctions on key Russian sources of income, and target Moscow's ability to acquire banned technologies used in weapons, according to people familiar with the matter. The sources noted that many of the European requests were informal in nature.

The resources mentioned — money, ammunition, and weapons — mainly come from a $61 billion package approved by the US Congress earlier this year.

Despite the dwindling time for Biden to act on the requests, the US is already working to adopt new sanctions against Russia's oil fleet and the DPRK by the end of November, according to anonymous sources.

Many EU leaders are also pushing the US to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia despite pushback from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Biden, who believe the escalation is not worth the risk.

  • Russia
  • Ukraine
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Nato
  • Germany
  • Olaf Scholz
  • Vladimir Putin
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iranian worshippers carry their country's flags in a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, after the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran warns of NPT withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz closure after US attack

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
In this June, 12, 2021, file photo, former Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani sits in a meeting in Tehran, Iran.
Politics

Iran strategically foiled Israeli-US scheme, Advisor Shamkhani says

Sheikh Naim
MENA

Let no one think they can subjugate Hezbollah: Sheikh Qassem

Screengrab from a video published by the al-Qassam Brigades shows confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)
Politics

Al-Qassam releases video of deadly ambush with Israeli forces in Gaza

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, attends an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, Monday, June 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran bars IAEA chief Grossi from nuclear facility inspections

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS