For the first time in nearly two years, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator. German commentators are speculating about the politician's motivations. Was it the start of an election campaign or related to the upcoming G-20 summit in Brazil?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a "strategic mistake" that weakened European unity in the face of Moscow's war against Ukraine, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in nearly two years. German commentators are speculating on the politician's motivations. Was it related to the start of an election campaign or the G-20 summit in Brazil?

Polish President Andrzej Duda has condemned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his decision to hold a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, describing it as a mistake. Source: European Pravda,

A senior US foreign policy official said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's decision to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin did not break with the joint stance of the Western allies with regard to the war in Ukraine.

The wildly unpopular chancellor's much-criticized decision to phone the Kremlin comes three months before he faces stiff challenges from the populist left and right.