Putin, Scholz to hold first direct phone call in two years, Bloomberg reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are set to hold their first direct phone call in nearly two years on Nov. 15, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

This call comes at a time of growing uncertainty among Ukraine’s allies.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reassured allies during a one-day emergency visit to Brussels that the Biden administration plans to increase U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in its final months.

Despite this, European allies have grown increasingly concerned about Western support for Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.

President-elect Trump is reportedly preparing to appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations, raising concerns in Europe that such a deal would affect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Germany, Ukraine's main European backer, is currently facing internal turmoil, with its center-left coalition weakened and opposition leader Friedrich Merz eyeing the chancellorship.

Both Scholz and Merz plan to maintain aid to Ukraine in line with current policies, but an expert told the Kyiv Independent that the Trump administration’s position “will have a way larger impact on Germany's policies than whether the next German chancellor will be Friedrich Merz, Olaf Scholz, or any other of the probable candidates."

Opinion: How EU nations can prevent the worst-case outcome for Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly hopes to exploit any effort by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to enforce a de facto capitulation of Ukraine. How might this plan unfold, and what should EU countries do now? This is how an ideal scenario might look for Russia: Step 1: Trump wants

The Kyiv IndependentJakub Janda