The German chancellor says he is one of the few Western leaders to speak with Putin

“I am speaking with the Russian president, I am one of the few. I have not only visited him in Moscow and sat at his big table, but also had many long telephone conversations with him and I will continue to do so, even if we are not share the same opinion,” he said at a meeting with citizens in Cottbus (East Germany).

When questioned by a citizen who asked for the option of diplomatic channels instead of sending weapons to Ukraine, Scholz underlined that “a country under attack must be able to defend itself and has the right to ask others for help”.

The chancellor reiterated that the negotiations are necessary, but that they must be concluded with something other than an “imposed peace” as “they have been badly negotiated with a gun pointed at the head”.

“The basis of the negotiations must be that the Russian president understands that his imperialist goal is not working and that he must withdraw his troops. There must be something to negotiate, it cannot simply sign a capitulation,” Scholz argued.

The Chancellor expressed his understanding of the “fear” felt by many citizens at the prospect of an escalation of the war, but stated that he is not making impulsive decisions, but is permanently coordinating with Germany’s allies and doing everything possible to expand the prevent the country. conflict.

The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.1 million to European countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which qualifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).

At the moment, at least 18 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million people need food aid and shelter.

The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and Russia to impose political and economic sanctions.

The UN presented 8,173 civilian deaths and 13,620 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.