Russia only used the latest negotiations as a pretext for simultaneously moving its own troops east for a major offensive, the chancellor said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin since December 2022, Politico reported on Thursday, March 28.
“The last time we talked on the phone was in December 2022 – before that we talked more often,” Scholz said in an interview.
He recalled that a few days before Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he visited Putin in Moscow, where they sat at an “incredibly long table” and then “Putin was worried about to the coronavirus infection.”
Scholz said that after the outbreak of a full-scale war, Russia and Ukraine tried to negotiate, but Moscow was not serious.
“The negotiations failed because the Russian Federation only used them as an excuse to simultaneously move its own troops to the east for a major offensive,” he said.
The Chancellor emphasized that Germany now supports Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition than any other European country.
“We spend more than 28 billion euros here alone. This is more than many other countries combined,” emphasizes Scholz.
He promised that Germany “will continue to do this (provide support – ed.) as long as necessary.” Scholz added that Putin should not expect support for Ukraine to wane over time.
Earlier, Olaf Scholz said that the Western allies should take four steps to ensure that the war in Ukraine ends as soon as possible.
Source: korrespondent
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