Olaf Scholz noted that it had been some time since his last phone conversation with Putin.
Now the German Chancellor is planning to hold such a conversation again. He said this in a conversation with Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.
According to Scholz, he has spoken to Putin many times and at length over the past year, and the German Chancellor said he would continue to do so.
In negotiations, Putin is always polite to Scholz, despite the politicians' different positions. Their conversations last for an hour and a half, sometimes only in German, sometimes with translation.
The German authorities believe they need to maintain regular contact with Putin, despite the difference of opinion on the conflict in Ukraine.
Germany hopes for some progress on this issue.