Putin denounced “the destructive line of Western states, including Germany,” which pumped weapons into Kiev and trained its soldiers, the Kremlin said on Friday. Scholz, on the other hand, condemned the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian electricity and district heating network.
Like US President Joe Biden, he also called for a diplomatic solution, including the withdrawal of Russian troops. A Kremlin spokesman said the “special military operation” will of course continue.
First phone call since September between Putin and Scholz
According to Russian sources, during the hour-long contact, Putin asked the German chancellor to review Germany’s position. Western aid to Kiev has led Ukraine to refuse negotiations with Russia. The Kremlin head also defended the recent massive rocket attacks on Ukraine in response to “Kiev’s provocations” against civilian infrastructure in Russia, including the bridge to Crimea’s annexed Black Sea peninsula, which was heavily damaged by an explosion .
Recently, Russia’s attacks have focused on electricity and combined heat and power plants, among other things. In freezing temperatures, many Ukrainian households are temporarily or even completely without heating, electricity and water.
Scholz, in turn, reaffirmed Germany’s determination to continue to support Ukraine militarily. The German government is supplying Ukraine with another seven Gepard anti-aircraft tanks.
Moscow: Special operation continues, but open for talks
The Kremlin responded to calls from US President Biden to end the war and ruled out a withdrawal of Russian troops. “Of course the military special operation will continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. “But at the same time, President (Vladimir) Putin was, is and remains open to contacts, to negotiations,” added Peskov. Biden had previously stated that he is only open to talks with Putin if Russia is willing to end the war against Ukraine that began more than nine months ago.
Kiev wants to limit the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to end the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on the spiritual life in his country. Ukraine must also defend its independence in the religious field, the head of state said in a video message on Thursday evening. “We will never allow anyone to create an empire within the Ukrainian soul.” The Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church has traditionally had a strong influence in Ukraine and claims numerous shrines there. The Ukrainian secret service SBU has again searched more than six monasteries and churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
London: Russian Military Logistical Problems
According to British intelligence, the Russian army is facing logistical challenges following its withdrawal from the western bank of Ukraine’s Dnipro River. The Ukrainians have recently found it easier to attack Russian logistics hubs and communication channels. Therefore, Moscow is likely to move the nodes further south and east, according to the daily overview report from the British Ministry of Defense on Friday. Much equipment has to be moved from rail to road, where the transports are again easily attacked. The ammunition shortages exacerbated by these logistical problems are likely why Russian forces are barely able to launch effective ground offensives, the British said.
Allegations of a Russian ex-elite soldier against Putin
Former paratrooper and author Pavel Filatev, who fled Russia, sees the defeats in the war against Ukraine as a personal responsibility of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. “He has never served, he has never been in the war and does not know what the army is,” the 34-year-old said about Putin in a video link from Paris on Friday. Filatev also blamed Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for bringing down Russian forces. “You don’t know anything about the army,” Filateev said. Even in Soviet times, the army was “not bad” and, above all, “competitive”. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, corruption increased.
(SDA)