00:00All right, let's go now to our political correspondent, Simon Young.
00:04He's in Berlin following this.
00:05Simon, what more do we know about this Friday phone call between Shultz and Putin?
00:12Brent, this was an hour-long call between the two leaders, and Olaf Shultz used it to
00:20condemn what's being described as Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.
00:26The chancellor said that Russia had not achieved any of its war aims and called on Putin to
00:31end the war and pull Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory.
00:35In particular, Chancellor Shultz seems to have focused on the suffering of the civilian
00:41population in Ukraine, talking about the attacks against civilian infrastructure that we've
00:48seen increasingly in recent months, sort of drone and missile attacks carried out by the
00:53Russians.
00:54So that was one focus.
00:55Another thing that the chancellor apparently mentioned was the presence of North Korean
01:00troops now on the ground in this conflict, fighting on behalf of the Russians.
01:07Olaf Shultz said that was a serious escalation.
01:11And Shultz went on to say, again, that Germany has what is being described as unbreakable
01:18resolve to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes and support Kiev.
01:24Now, the two leaders agreed to remain in contact, but of course, Shultz also saying that he
01:31will continue to talk with President Zelensky of Ukraine, but also with the other allies
01:37in NATO and the European Union.
01:40Simon Putin and Shultz apparently had no reason to speak with each other for the past two
01:45years.
01:46What has changed?
01:47Why is this call happening now?
01:51Well, I think there are a couple of reasons.
01:55Firstly, you know, we're coming up to a thousand days of this war in Ukraine and the geopolitical
02:02situation has significantly changed.
02:05The German government has fallen apart and Olaf Shultz himself is soon to be a sort of
02:13lame duck chancellor.
02:14Meanwhile, we've got a new president elect in the United States.
02:19So there are questions about the West's commitment to supporting Ukraine going forward.
02:27And I suppose that Shultz sees a sort of possibility or wanted to make one last effort, if you
02:34like, to put forward the possibility of ending this war and bringing it to a solution.
02:41Secondly, here in Germany, we're entering an election campaign in effect.
02:48The war in Ukraine is an issue that plays with some voters.
02:51Indeed, it's one of the reasons why the government here has fallen apart.
02:56The cost of supporting Ukraine in that war.
02:59So Shultz wants to be associated with this message of peace, the idea that there could
03:04still be a diplomatic solution and a negotiated settlement.
03:09His conservative opponents are much more hawkish on Ukraine.
03:14So that's why I think Shultz is here pushing peace as well.
03:18Simon, depending on who you ask, this phone call can make a leader, particularly a leader
03:22who is a candidate campaigning to be reelected, look very leader-like, if you will.
03:28Were we able to confirm?
03:29Do we know who called whom today?
03:32Well, I don't think that's been specifically confirmed, but it's pretty clear that Olaf
03:38Shultz and his team have been preparing this call for some time.
03:43The chancellor was talking about it and the delicate way of setting it up in an interview
03:48just a few days ago.
03:49He also spoke with President Zelensky in advance to discuss it.
03:54And incidentally, we've heard from Kiev that Zelensky cautioned him against doing it, saying
03:59that that it would reduce the isolation of Putin.
04:04There's also incidentally been reaction from Moscow as well.
04:08The Kremlin saying they were pleased that this discussion had taken place, a detailed
04:13discussion as they described it, although they underlined again that there are many
04:17differences on how to end the conflict between Moscow and Berlin.
04:24DW's political correspondent Simon Young with the latest tonight here in Berlin on that
04:28phone call between Putin and Shultz.
04:30Simon, thank you.
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