UK Prime Minister Starmer rules out calling Putin despite Scholz's recent conversation
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has no plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Russian leader, Sky News quoted the official as saying on Nov. 17.
"It's a matter for Chancellor Scholz who he speaks to. I have no plans to speak to Putin," Starmer said.
He noted that the war in Ukraine has been ongoing for almost 1,000 days and added that the deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine "shows the desperation of Russia" and has "serious implications for European security."
Starmer also called on world leaders to “double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine," which he described as "top of my agenda" at the G20 summit.
Scholz's phone call with Putin
Olaf Scholz held his first phone conversation with Putin in nearly two years on Nov. 15. During the call, Scholz condemned Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and urged Putin to withdraw his troops.
Scholz also stated that Germany is ready to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. Before the call, the German Chancellor also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The call lasted about an hour, according to DW. Reuters reported that Zelenskyy had warned Scholz against calling Putin.
After the call, Zelenskyy criticized Scholz's initiative, describing the conversation as a "Pandora's box" and emphasizing that such talks are exactly what Putin wants.
The German tabloid Bild reported that the phone call between Scholz and Putin had been agreed upon nearly a month earlier with U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
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