Merz explains refusal to negotiate with Putin.

The Federal Chancellor of Germany refused to dialogue with Putin

The Federal Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, has refused to have a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin as previous diplomatic contacts have not helped to reduce tensions in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Merz reminded of the negative consequences of previous attempts at dialogue with the Kremlin. He mentioned, for example, the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Putin in July 2024 and a phone call from his predecessor Olaf Scholz to the Russian leader.

'The last visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister to Moscow was met by Russia with heavy bombings of Kyiv and the hospital. The last phone call with my predecessor was followed by bombings of a children's hospital. So if this is the result of such phone calls, I would refrain from them for a long Time,' Merz stated in an interview with the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The US position towards Putin and sanctions against Russia

Commenting on the position of American President Donald Trump regarding Putin, Merz emphasized the positive changes in the relationship with the White House. 'The President of the United States is demonstrating increasing skepticism and becoming more critical. This is a process,' he noted. Merz also emphasized the importance of a coordinated sanctions policy between the US and the European Union and the active discussion of new sanctions against Russia in the US Senate, a decision on which depends on Trump.

Call for rearmament of Europe due to Russian aggression

Macron called for the rearmament of Europe due to Russian aggression.

This news highlights that the Federal Chancellor of Germany has refused telephone conversations with Putin due to the unproductiveness of previous diplomatic contacts and the negative consequences of cooperation with the Kremlin. It is also noted that the skepticism and critical attitude of the US president towards Putin may affect the coordinated sanctions policy of the European Union and the United States.