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In case someone is not quite sure why I'm taking a shit on Bild, here's a Google Translate of the actual article.
If it's not a whole lot of nothing like this article, it's just right-wing boomer fear porn.
Ukraine war: What particularly tormented Scholz after his Putin call
The Kremlin dictator shocked the world in February 2022 when he attacked Ukraine and threatened to wipe the neighboring country off the map. The leaders of the western world tried to persuade the warmonger - including Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD).
Filmmaker and journalist Stephan Lamby (63) has now gained insights into the talks - they emerge from a conversation between Scholz and Macron, who exchanged views with Putin on March 4, 2022 - day 9 of the Ukraine war - after their respective telephone calls .
Lamby describes this conversation in his new book, Emergencies - Governing in Times of War. What Scholz Macron reported about Putin
Because Scholz cannot be put through immediately, Macron jokes with his advisors: If that doesn't work, then the "turn of the era" and the rearmament of the Bundeswehr are probably not going well either...
Then the chancellor answered: "Ah, hello Olaf, how are you? How was your discussion this morning?”
It doesn't get "better," says Scholz. "Something bothers me more than the talks: He (Putin) is not complaining about all the sanctions. I don't know if he did that in conversation with you. But he didn't even mention the sanctions.”
Macron replied: "Neither do I."
Scholz complained that Putin had only given presentations about his view of Ukraine: "He told me about all his ideas on how to find a compromise. He spoke of demilitarization, denazification.”
“And,” Scholz continued to report to Macron, “he asked me to have Crimea recognized as part of Russia. And the independence of these republics.” Conclusion of the Federal Chancellor: “Nothing new, to put it bluntly.”
However, Scholz tried to organize a summit meeting. "When I asked him whether there should be a meeting on Ukraine, sooner or later, with you, me, Zelenskyy and with him, Putin, he didn't completely refuse. But he mentioned two conditions. Firstly, there must be no reason for a ceasefire. Then he just talked about the three of us, you, me and him. Without Zelenskyy.”
Putin also expressed conspiracy theory ideas, Scholz also said: "Then he said that the Ukrainian delegation left for Poland because they want to speak to the President of the United States to get their instructions..." Scholz then laughed and sums it up: “More or less. That's it."
Macron replied: "Thanks, that was very similar to the conversation I had with him yesterday. I think he is now very determined to go to the end. The narrative and brutality of his televised message, as well as all the initiatives he has taken in talks with civil organizations in Russia over the past few hours, are very disturbing. To put it bluntly.”
It was clear to both of them that Putin had become radicalized and was unpredictable. What was previously known about Scholz's phone calls with Putin
So far, Scholz had revealed little about these phone calls with the Kremlin leader:
They were "always polite", he was with Putin via you. In February 2023, the chancellor denied that Putin had threatened Scholz with a rocket attack to BILD am SONNTAG. This was previously claimed by Britain's ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In December 2022, after another hour-long conversation with Putin, Scholz said he would continue to pick up the chancellor's phone when the Kremlin boss calls. Despite all the differences, you have to keep talking to the dictator, and Scholz also wants to check whether Putin has made any changes regarding Ukraine. Macron revealed much more from his Putin talks
French President Emmanuel Macron was different: he was on first name terms with Putin and had also published protocols from his phone calls with him in June 2022.
As a result, something more about Macron's phone calls with Putin had leaked out. Shortly before the war began, he said to the Russian President: "I would like you to first tell me how you assess the situation and, perhaps, in a fairly direct way, as we both do, tell me your intentions."
Above all, Macron wanted to persuade Putin to speak to US President Joe Biden again. Putin apparently agreed to such a talk in principle, but it never came to that.
Putin then choked off Macron by saying that he was going to the ice rink to play ice hockey. When Macron said he also wanted to do sport, namely boxing training, Putin is said to have said: "Think of Zelenskyj when you hit the punching bag."
Putin also spoke about the dropping of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and told Macron what he learned from it: "You don't have to attack the big cities to win".
