EU foreign policy chief Borrell doubts Putin's willingness to negotiate after Scholz's call

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not ready for negotiations, following a phone call between Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to Radio Free Europe.

Commenting on the call, Borrell highlighted that Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure shortly afterward.

"Putin responds to any attempt at negotiations with a powerful attack on civilian infrastructure, particularly the energy infrastructure. This was the strongest attack in recent months, using a large number of drones. So it does not seem that he is ready for negotiations – on the contrary," the diplomat said.

He added that while he does not know the details of the conversation between Scholz and Putin, he is convinced that it was within the framework of supporting Ukraine.

"My job is to continue supporting Ukraine and nothing else. Whoever talks to whom – I don't care about that," Borrell added.

On November 15, the German government reported that Scholz and Putin held their first telephone conversation since December 2022. The German chancellor condemned the war and urged Putin to withdraw his troops, also encouraging the Russian leader to engage in negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the call, describing it as a "Pandora's box" and stating that it plays into Putin's desire to ease his and Russia's isolation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he has no plans to speak with Putin.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called on Western leaders to stop making phone calls to Putin.