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Scholz's October 18 Call with Putin Coordinated with Biden, Macron, and Starmer on Negotiations

Nov 16, 2024, 09:20 AM

The Kremlin has confirmed a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Der Spiegel, Scholz's office had been preparing for the conversation for weeks, with the call being closely coordinated with American, British, French, and other G7 partners. Bild reports that Scholz informed US President Joseph Biden, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron about his plans to talk to Putin a month ago during a meeting in Berlin, with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also being informed. The purpose of the call, coordinated on October 18, was to determine whether Russia is open to negotiations in light of the recent U.S. elections.