Germany's Scholz Says Talks With Putin Always Friendly in Tone

BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shared a rare glimpse into his phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that these negotiations are always amicable in tone despite the leaders' widely diverging opinions.

"If I summarize all the conversations I have had with him [President Putin] recently, there has certainly been some progress," Scholz told the Deutschlandfunk broadcaster, adding that "the tone always remains friendly" even though their views on the Ukraine crisis are "very different."

The German leader also noted the importance of dialogue with Russia, naming some of the topics addressed in talks. According to Scholz, he discussed humanitarian matters, such as grain exports and access to the captured soldiers, besides "the demands to withdraw troops."

Putin and Scholz held a 90-minute phone conversation on Tuesday, discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and other related issues.