Summary
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone for the first time since December 2022, with Scholz condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its use of North Korean troops as a “grave escalation.”
Scholz urged Putin to withdraw troops and negotiate a “fair and lasting peace,” emphasizing Germany’s continued support for Ukraine.
Putin blamed NATO’s “aggressive policy” and insisted peace must reflect “new territorial realities” of occupied Ukrainian land.
Amid growing political and economic pressures, Scholz faces criticism over his handling of the war and upcoming elections.
Military deployments aren’t “meat grinders” for your own troops if they’re well-equipped and trained. That’s the whole point of western militaries.
War is shit. But as an ex-soldier: you know what you sign up for. I also expected it during my service, though it never happened.
It’s like saying calling firefighters to rescue someone from a burning house is only acceptable if you ran into it first. It makes no sense.