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Radio silence between Olaf Scholz (64) and Vladimir Putin (70)? not really! Even now, when the war is raging, the German chancellor regularly calls the Russian president.
Scholz provides a rare insight into his phone calls with Putin and how they work. “These are long negotiations – sometimes an hour, sometimes an hour and a half,” Scholz said at the meeting of the “Rheinische Post” on Monday.
But the conversations would not take place in a family setting. He and the Kremlin boss would use the formal address. “If it fits”, Putin even speaks German to him because he doesn’t want to wait for the German translation.
“In our phone conversations, our very different views on the war in Ukraine become clear,” Scholz described his phone conversations with Putin to Bild in February.
Scholz awaits peace negotiations
Despite obvious differences of opinion, statesmen would always treat each other fairly and remain ‘always polite’.
“No one is shouting on the other end of the line,” Scholz said about the calls at the beginning of this year. Scholz’s aim with the calls is to wait for the right time for peace negotiations. “And you can’t do that if you don’t talk to each other,” said the chancellor.
The two agree to meet formally for talks. “It’s not like I’m texting and asking, do we want to go back?” says Scholz. Telephone circuits are used for this. The two last spoke in December. (jwg)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
