German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the special operation and pull back Russian forces, making the appeal during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as reported by RIA News. In remarks tied to the G20 leaders’ online summit, Scholz underscored that this moment marks the first gathering of the heads of state and government since the Ukraine crisis escalated into a full-scale invasion. He said, in clear terms, that he had urged President Putin to end the aggression and withdraw troops from Ukrainian soil so that the conflict could be brought to a close and peace could begin to take hold. [attribution: Reuters]
Scholz emphasized that Germany stands for a durable and just peace in Ukraine, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter. He argued that lasting stability in the region rests on international law and the protection of sovereignty, a stance he framed as essential to a constructive political resolution. He also noted that Germany would continue to engage in dialogue, even as the path to negotiations remains uncertain. [attribution: Reuters]
Earlier in the remarks, Scholz reiterated his intention to keep open channels with Moscow. He stated that any talks would require Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory before negotiations could begin, while acknowledging that President Putin had not indicated readiness to take that step at this time. The German leader stressed the importance of a credible de-escalation process if diplomatic discussions are to gain momentum. [attribution: Reuters]
Putin, speaking during the same G20 online gathering, described the situation in Ukraine as a tragedy and urged all parties to seek ways to halt it as quickly as possible. He outlined Moscow’s view that peace negotiations must address the underlying concerns and security considerations that have shaped the Ukrainian crisis, signaling a willingness to pursue dialogue if certain conditions are met. [attribution: Reuters]
In his address, Putin also outlined Moscow’s perspective on how negotiations with Kyiv might proceed, signaling a readiness to discuss approaches that could lead to a settlement without surrendering core interests. The exchanges reflected a broader, stubbornly stalled debate among major powers about how to bring about a political settlement while balancing security guarantees and regional sovereignty. [attribution: Reuters]