Scholz, Putin may meet before Germany's parliamentary elections

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may visit Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before February 23, i.e. before the elections scheduled in the country, German MP Roderich Kiesewetter said on social network X.

He specified that recently there are more and more indicators of a potential meeting, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Kiesewetter criticized the potential meeting, warning that "Ukraine must not be the object or the victim. Russia is up to its neck in economic and social terms, but Ukraine, which is in much worse shape, should be accommodated—not Russia!"

He also cautioned that any negotiations at this time "are at the expense of Ukraine and de facto mean submission."

In his election campaign, Scholz has positioned himself as a "chancellor of peace," advocating for both support for Ukraine and negotiations with Russia to end the war. However, Kiesewetter took aim at what he referred to as the "so-called 'Moscow connection'" and called for greater clarity and resolve within Germany's leadership.

In late December, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were no plans for contact between Scholz and Putin.

The last telephone conversation between Scholz and Putin took place on November 15 at the initiative of the German side. During the conversation, the chancellor stated the need to start a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. The politicians agreed to maintain bilateral contacts in the future.

By Khagan Isayev