Portnikov does not rule out that Donald Trump's victory prompted Scholz to this conversation.
The telephone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin became a real diplomatic sensation.
Why Scholz actually called Putin was explained by Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Portnikov for Radio Liberty.
Convenience for the Kremlin
According to the journalist, for Moscow this conversation was, first of all, a demonstration of the fact that it was not possible to isolate Putin from the leaders of the world – and not only from the leaders of the “global South”, but also from the West.
Why Scholz needed this conversation
Portnikov does not rule out that Donald Trump's victory in the US elections prompted this conversation. Trump, as we know, constantly emphasizes the need for negotiations and an end to the war.
“And in this situation, European leaders may believe that they should start a conversation first, at least in order to clarify the real positions of the head of the Russian Federation. Not only in Ukraine do they not want someone to decide for the Ukrainians. The Europeans would also like to prevent this,” the journalist says.
According to Portnikov, Scholz did not risk anything, because after the early parliamentary elections he is unlikely to remain in the chancellor's chair, and in big politics in general.
“But if the chancellor wanted not just to talk, but also to understand how Putin's views on the war and the settlement of the situation have changed, he achieved his goal. And he saw that not much. The head of the Russian Federation simply repeated all those ultimatums in a conversation with the federal chancellor conditions that he puts forward to Ukraine and the West from 2022,” Portnikov summed up.
Recall that on Friday, November 15, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This information was confirmed by federal government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. The Kremlin reported details of the telephone conversation between Scholz and Putin.
Le Monde noted that Putin perceived Scholz's call as a sign of weakness, not strength.
In turn, President Zelensky called Scholz's conversation with Putin “Pandora's box”.
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