Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has appealed to Western leaders to refrain from further phone calls to Russian President Vladimir Putin following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent conversation.
This is what she is about said on the air of the German broadcaster ARD.
“The most important thing is that we understand that now we should not participate in another race for attention from the Kremlin”Valtonen said on ARD.
On November 15, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in almost two years. During the conversation, Scholz condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, called on Putin to withdraw his troops and discussed the possibility of negotiations with Kyiv.
This call caused a negative reaction in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that such a conversation opens a “Pandora’s box” for further contacts, which can weaken Russia’s international isolation.
Meanwhile, US President-elect Donald Trump promised to quickly end the war by bringing Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. His impending return to the White House raises concerns about a possible reduction in Washington’s support for Ukraine, which could force Europe and other partners to increase their contributions.
