Germany’s Scholz says Trump ‘more nuanced’ on Ukraine than assumed
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) visiting then US President Donald Trump in New York, in September 2024.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Follow topic:
BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview published on Nov 15 that Donald Trump privately held “more nuanced” positions on Ukraine, days after he spoke with the US President-elect by phone.
Trump’s re-election in last week’s US presidential vote
On the campaign trail, the Republican claimed he could end the fighting within hours and that he would talk directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Scholz, who spoke with Trump by phone on Nov 10, told the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily his call with the President-elect was “perhaps surprisingly, a very detailed and good conversation”.
The two discussed the situation in Ukraine “for a while”, according to Mr Scholz, as the 1,000-day mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion fast approaches.
Without giving many details, Mr Scholz said he got the impression Trump “has a more nuanced position than is often assumed”.
Asked by the paper if Trump would make a deal over the head of the Ukrainians, Mr Scholz said Trump gave “no indication” that he would.
Germany, for its part, would not accept a “peace by diktat”, Mr Scholz said.
Separately, on Nov 15, Mr Scholz spoke by phone
Mr Scholz urged the Russian leader to end the war and enter negotiations with Ukraine for a “just and lasting peace”.
In the newspaper interview, Mr Scholz stressed that Mr Putin “did not succeed in conquering the entire country”.
Mr Scholz said: “Nato has gained two additional members, Finland and Sweden, and is stronger than ever.”
He added: “Ukraine has become a strong nation with prospects of joining the European Union and a clear orientation towards Western Europe. It is a country with a very strong army.
“We must not underestimate all of this, even if the high number of dead and injured and the incredible destruction in Ukraine are terrible.” AFP
