Scholz finds no change in Moscow's stand on Ukraine after phone call with Vladimir Putin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he did not perceive Moscow's effort to shift its attitude on Ukraine after a recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "No," he said in an interview published on May 14 on the German news portal T-online when asked if Russia's position on Ukraine had changed.

Scholz added that Moscow "has not reached any goals mentioned at the beginning" of the military special operation.

Furthermore, NATO has not left, but has increased its forces on the eastern flank, according to Scholz, who added that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will become even stronger once Finland and Sweden join it. Meanwhile, the German Chancellor stated that talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were ongoing. Having said that, Scholz believes that the only way to lift sanctions against Russia is for Moscow and Kyiv to sign a peace treaty.

"Russia should understand at some point that the only probable possibility of eventually lifting sanctions is to conclude an agreement with Ukraine, and this cannot be an imposed peace. As for the rest there is a clear principle: Ukraine solves those issues. We cannot hold negotiations on their behalf one way or another," Scholz stressed.

Germany to continue to supply weapons to Kyiv and tighten anti-Russia sanctions

Chancellor Scholz once again urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Sanctions have a powerful impact, according to the German government's leader. He went on to say that the Russian economy will be severely harmed, and that its development potential is extremely limited. When asked if Germany and its partners would continue to supply weapons to Kyiv and tighten anti-Russia sanctions, Chancellor said that they would.

He remarked, "Yes, we will continue, regarding sanctions as well, because our goal is to make sure Russia’s attempted invasion fails."

Scholz and Putin had a telephonic conversation on May 13

In a telephonic conversation on May 13, Scholz and Putin reviewed the situation in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin press service, the discussion was initiated by the German side. Following the call, the two leaders agreed to continue the conversation through various lines of communication. Since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian president and the German chancellor have spoken on the phone multiple times, each time emphasising the ongoing conflict.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, in response to a request from the heads of the Donbass republics, he had decided to conduct a special military operation, following which the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and a number of other countries imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and legal entities.