Russia vs. Ukraine: Germany warns Putin that North Korean troop deployment to Ukraine is a “serious escalation”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the deployment of North Korean troops against Ukraine represents a “serious escalation” of the conflict, according to government sources.

In the first talks between the two leaders in nearly two years, Scholz called on Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine and end the war.

The Kremlin described the conversation as “a frank and detailed exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine” and that “the very fact of the conversation is positive.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the call was akin to a “Pandora’s Box” and undermined Putin’s isolation.

According to government sources, Scholz condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and called on Moscow to negotiate with Kiev to achieve a “just and lasting peace”.

He also underlined “Germany’s unwavering determination to support Ukraine as much as possible in the defensive fight against Russian aggression.”

Scholz particularly condemned Russian airstrikes against civilian infrastructure.

The call lasted for about an hour and the two leaders finally agreed to remain in touch. Russian media reported that, according to the Kremlin, the call was a German initiative.

The German government will try to avoid accusations that it is trying to make a deal with Moscow behind Ukraine’s back. In Eastern Europe, bitter memories of the early 20th century when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divided the region remain alive.

The German government highlighted this in a statement Scholz spoke to Zelensky before calling Putin and he planned to do so later To give details of what was discussed.

According to a statement sent by the Kremlin to Russian media, Putin told Scholz that Russian-German relations had suffered an “unprecedented deterioration” as a result of the “unfriendly course” adopted by Germany.

According to the Kremlin, Putin told Scholz that any peace agreement “must be based on new regional realities.”“, which appears to be a reference to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia since Putin launched his invasion in 2022.

Putin also said that any peace deal would have to eliminate “the root causes of the conflict.” The Kremlin justified the invasion of Ukraine in Europe’s eastward “expansion”, which it blames NATO for.

“The current crisis is a direct consequence of years of aggressive NATO policy aimed at creating a front against Russia on Ukrainian territory,” Putin said on the call.

Scholz announced his intention to talk with Putin in a television interview last Sunday and said he wanted to push for peace talks. He claimed not to act alone.

There is speculation that Scholz also plans to discuss the war in Ukraine with Russian President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week.

Putin and Scholz last spoke on the phone in December 2022. Their last in-person meeting took place a week before Russia deployed its troops against Ukraine.

Scholz then returned promising Putin that Russia had no intention of attacking Ukraine. The attack launched just a week later led to a complete breakdown of trust between Berlin and Moscow.

Germany tried for years to maintain peace with Russia by establishing commercial and energy ties between the two countries, but this failed when Putin decided to invade Ukraine.

After the United States, Germany is the country that provides the most military and financial assistance to Ukraine. And political leaders from various parties advocate supporting it.

But with Germany facing elections in February, pressure is growing from multiple fronts to engage in serious talks to end the war in Ukraine.

The far-right AfD and the left-wing BSW, which could win between a quarter and a third of the vote, accused the government of not doing enough to promote a peace deal.

The three-party coalition on which Scholz has based his government collapsed last week and the chancellor will rule as a minority until an election. Polls show a significant decline in support for the chancellor and his party, the Social Democratic Party of Germany.

Germany has suffered both political and economic negative consequences from the war in Ukraine.

So any sign that Scholz is helping to end the conflict could swing his fortunes in the election.

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