Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the tone of his phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin was "good faith".
The politician spoke about this in the podcast "Kaffee und Fluchen".
Scholz noted that since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis he has spoken with his Russian counterpart "multiple times and in great detail" by phone. The last time, the former Chancellor noted, was last year.
According to Scholz, the tone of these conversations was always benevolent. At the same time, the politician claims that the invasion of Ukraine was not a “spontaneous decision“.
Sholz also expressed hope that US President Donald Trump will be able to contribute to resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
In March this year, Scholz praised the results of the talks between the Russian and American presidents. At that time, the politician said that the next step should be a complete ceasefire in Ukraine, and as soon as possible.
At the same time, the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier said that Germany and the United States should increase joint pressure on Russia.