German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Says Russian President Putin Has Never Threatened Him Or Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks as he attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner  

Politico.eu: Putin has never threatened me, Germany’s Scholz says 

German chancellor’s comments to Bild follow Boris Johnson’s claims of being threatened by the Russian leader. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russian President Vladimir Putin has never threatened him or Germany, following claims by Boris Johnson that Putin threatened the former U.K. prime minister with a missile strike. 

 “Putin didn’t threaten me or Germany” in the phone conversations the chancellor has had with the Russian leader, Scholz told German newspaper Bild in an interview published Sunday.  

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Update: Germany's Scholz: Putin has not threatened me or Germany - Bild (Reuters).  

Update #2: Putin did not threaten Germany – Scholz (RT)  

WNU Editor: The German - Russian relationship is complicated. It is also one built on convenience. There is no benefit for Putin (who lived in Eastern Germany for years) to threaten the German Chancellor or Germany itself.

Turkish President Is Saying That German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Has Changed His Opinion Of Putin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Erdogan (Reuters)  

Anadolu Agency: German chancellor has changed his stance, wants ‘common ground’ with Russia, says Turkish president  

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came during live interview 

The German chancellor has changed his stance over Russia, saying that “we should find a common ground” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Turkish president said on Wednesday. 

Recalling Tuesday's phone call with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz, Erdogan highlighted the importance of “personal relations,” to bring “the most important steps” in diplomacy. 

“We talked about this (importance of personal relations) with Mr. Putin yesterday,” Erdogan said during a live interview jointly broadcast by ATV, A Haber, A News and A Para.  

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Update: Erdogan: German Chancellor Scholz has changed his opinion on Putin (Pravda) 

WNU Editor: All past German Chancellors have always viewed the need to having close ties with Moscow as critical to their country's future and well being. Not only to have access to Russian resources and markets, but to keep the peace in Europe even if it meant making compromises and decisions to the detriment of other European nations. 

There is also the history of World War Two, and what Germany did to Russia. Another reason why past German Chancellors were always sensitive to Russian security concerns and worries, and why these concerns had to be always met, even if other European states and the US were critical of Germany's decisions. 

When elected last year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to pursue a different policy, and instead of providing leadership to address Russia's security concerns in the fall of 2021, he stayed silent. 

I speculated at the time that because German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leads a fragile coalition, he had to make compromises, and one of them was not addressing Russian concerns. Was that a mistake? Definitely, and we are now reaping the world-wind of those decisions. 

The sad part of Erdogan's remarks is that even if Scholz has changed his opinion of Putin, I know that it is now too late. Russia - German relations are in ruins, and Moscow will never trust Berlin again. To say that both counties will be poorer because of this is an understatement. And as for European security. It will definitely be insecure and very fragile.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Meets Russian President Putin In Moscow To Discuss The Ukraine Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin and and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz © Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS 

 

Daily Mail: Now Putin plays the peacemaker amid doubts over his theatrical 'withdrawal': Russian strongman claims he 'of course doesn't want war' but accuses Kiev of 'genocide' - as West warns he is STILL plotting invasion 

* Putin says he is 'ready to go down the negotiations track' with the West, after weeks of mounting tensions 

* Russian strongman insisted he 'of course' doesn't want war despite massing troops on Ukraine's border 

* But he repeated claim that 'genocide' is underway in breakaway regions of Ukraine, and insisted their future must be part of security talks - underlining how far apart the two sides still are 

* He spoke hours after Moscow announced some troops will be withdrawn from frontlines to their home bases 

* 'Withdrawal' greeted with optimism and skepticism, amid warnings Russia could still invade at short notice 

Vladimir Putin played magnanimous peacemaker today insisting that he 'of course' doesn't want war in Ukraine hours after announcing a theatrical 'withdrawal' of some of his forces while massing tens of thousands of troops along the border.

The strongman, speaking at the Kremlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said he is 'ready to go down the negotiations track' and engage over issues such as arms control, transparency around military drills, and other measures aimed at reducing sky-high tensions between East and West.  

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Meets Russian President Putin In Moscow To Discuss The Ukraine Crisis  

Russia does not want any war, believes in Minsk Accords — Putin-Scholz meeting -- TASS  

Putin & new German chancellor Scholz admit differences -- RT  

Putin Says 'Ready' to Work Toward De-Escalation Following Scholz Talks -- Moscow Times  

Ukraine crisis: 'We don't want war in Europe' Putin says in talks with Scholz -- DW 

‘Lasting security’ in Europe can only be achieved with Russian help, Scholz says -- France 24  

Ukraine crisis: Russia does not want war, Putin says after meeting Scholz -- Euronews 

Time to talk? German chancellor urges Moscow to step back as Zelensky vows to join NATO -- France 24

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock Says Russia Will Pay A Price If It Invades Ukraine

 

DW: Germany's Baerbock visits Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says she wants a "serious dialogue" on security in Europe during her visits to Ukraine and Russia. 

Her first official trips there come amid fears Russia might invade. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said she will seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis between Ukraine and Russia during her first official trip to the two countries. 

She cautioned, however, that Moscow would face a firm response if it resorted to military escalation. 

Baerbock's two-day trip comes as a build-up of Russian troops and military equipment on the border to Ukraine, a former Soviet state, is raising fears that Moscow might be intending to invade its neighbor.  

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WNU Editor: Germany warning and threatening Russia never goes over well in Russia. Never. 

The German foreign minister will be in Moscow later this week. 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock Says Russia Will Pay A Price If It Invades Ukraine  

Germany says Russia will pay price if it moves on Ukraine -- Reuters  

Russia would pay ‘high price’ for attack on Ukraine, says German minister -- The Guardian  

Germany Calls On Russia to Take Steps to Defuse Ukraine Conflict -- Bloomberg 

Germany wants to 'normalize' relations with Russia – Baerbock -- RT