Scholz reacts to rumors of intended meeting with Putin
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refuted rumors that he is planning a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling them “false.” The rumors, which circulated following a post by German MP Roderich Kiesewetter, were dismissed by both Scholz and the Kremlin.
On Sunday, Scholz criticized Kiesewetter, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), for spreading what he called “baseless” and “inappropriate” claims about a potential meeting. The rumors suggested that Scholz might visit Moscow before February 23. Kiesewetter also speculated that a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump could take place in March, though the post was later deleted.
The German government called the claims “defamatory” and “malicious,” with spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit stating that no such trip was being considered. SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch called for Kiesewetter to apologize for violating the fairness agreement established by Germany's major political parties.
The Kremlin also rejected the notion of high-level talks, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that there are currently no plans for such discussions between Putin and German or US leaders. Scholz last met Putin in person in February 2022, just before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, and their most recent communication occurred in November 2023 via telephone.
While there is growing speculation around potential resolutions to the conflict, Moscow has expressed a willingness to negotiate under certain conditions, including Ukraine's withdrawal from Russian-claimed territories and a neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.
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