Scholz announced plans for upcoming negotiations with Putin, but there is a condition that must be met first.

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced plans to hold negotiations with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the near future. However, there is a condition for these talks - Scholz does not wish to speak with Putin face-to-face. He also clarified that numerous consultations and discussions with other parties will precede the upcoming negotiations. 

According to the publication Tagesschau, Olaf Scholz intends to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. The German Chancellor states that his conversation will take place at the right moment, but not alone with the Kremlin leader. 

"Yes, I plan to talk to the Russian president at the right moment. But I am a responsible politician; I will not do this one-on-one," the publication quotes Scholz's words.

The German Chancellor suggested that many other consultations and discussions with various parties will take place before his conversation with Putin. It is important to specifically talk about Ukraine.

Previously, Scholz had already expressed his willingness to negotiate with Putin regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. The last time they communicated was in December 2022. In June 2024, Scholz noted that he does not rule out future negotiations with Putin, but emphasized that a meeting would only be appropriate if there are specific topics to discuss.

Scholz believes that peace without Ukraine's participation is impossible but excludes NATO membership

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the inadmissibility of peace negotiations concerning Ukraine without its representatives, as Ukrainians are the ones fighting against Russian aggression. Scholz believes that the war can only be concluded with Ukraine's involvement. 

The German Chancellor also highlighted India's mediation in the diplomatic resolution of the war in Ukraine. He supported New Delhi's readiness to use its "strong ties" with all parties to contribute "to the political resolution of the conflict." Prior to this, India had avoided condemning Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.

At the same time, Scholz does not support the first point of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Victory Plan, which concerns inviting Ukraine to NATO. He believes there is currently no need for this, and a warring country, in his view, cannot become a member of the Alliance.