Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and President Vladimir Putin of Russia spoke by phone for an hour Friday, marking the first communication between the two heads of state in two years. Scholz protested the involvement of North Korean troops in the war in Ukraine and called upon Putin to end the conflict, stating that Russia had not achieved its goals since its invasion close to three years ago. Putin responded that any peace deal in Ukraine must include Ukrainian neutrality and recognize “new territorial realities”—an indication that Russia is unlikely to consider a settlement that does not include control over land currently occupied by its military. In turn, Scholz informed Putin that Germany would continue to provide aid to Ukraine to resist what it considers to be an unacceptable invasion.

The call comes at a difficult time for Chancellor Scholz, who is faced with a collapsing government and widespread popular dissatisfaction, including the surging Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), now the second-most popular party in the country behind the center-right Christian Democratic Union. The right-wing populist party has been critical of aid to Ukraine, and may complicate German efforts to support the nation if new elections are called soon.

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