Scholz: Putin talks 'always friendly in tone' despite differing views

Telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine are "always friendly in tone," according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

This was the case even if there were "very, very different, indeed widely differing views on the matter," which he clearly put forward, Scholz said in the "Interview of the Week" for public radio Deutschlandfunk, which is to be aired on Sunday, but provided in advance to dpa on Saturday.

If he summarized all the talks he had recently had with Putin, Scholz said there had "definitely been movement" on Putin's end. But any such movement wasn't particularly far-reaching, Scholz added.

The German chancellor spoke to Putin on the phone on Tuesday, after a break of several months. According to the German government, the conversation lasted 90 minutes.

Scholz insisted on a diplomatic solution to the Russian war in Ukraine as soon as possible. He said it had to include a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

Scholz emphasized that Germany will not go it alone on weapons shipments to Ukraine. So far, no NATO country has delivered Western-designed battle tanks to Ukraine.

But Scholz added that the German government is doing a great deal in terms of getting armaments to Ukraine.

It was precisely the weapons that Germany had provided that had "made the difference and made possible the successes, the current successes, that Ukraine is recording," he claimed. That is why "it makes sense for us to continue there."