OLAF SCHOLZ

A call to Moscow by the German chancellor on Friday was the first by an EU leader since Russia suffered a string of battlefield defeats in its war against Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday  Russia's strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure were "inevitable" as the Kremlin rejected US President Joe Biden's terms for talks and warned the assault would continue. After suffering humiliating military defeats during what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in October, causing sweeping blackouts. Speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since mid-September, Putin slammed what he called the West's "destructive" policies in Ukraine and said Russian strikes were a response to "provocative" attacks from Kyiv. Moscow "had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine", Putin told Scholz, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks. "But now such measures have become a forced and inevitable response to Kyiv's provocative attacks on Russia's civilian infrastructure," the Kremlin said, referring in particular to the October attack on a bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland. During the hour-long  call with Putin, Scholz "urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops", according to the German leader's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Putin urged Berlin to "reconsider its approaches in the context of the Ukrainian events", the Kremlin said. He accused the West of carrying out "destructive" policies in Ukraine, stressing that its political and financial aid "leads to the fact that Kyiv completely rejects the idea of any negotiations". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruled out any talks with Russia while Putin is in power shortly after the Kremlin claimed to have annexed several Ukrainian regions. - Offensive 'continues' - The Kremlin also indicated Moscow was in no mood for talks over Ukraine, after Biden said he would be willing to sit down with Putin if the Russian leader truly wanted to end the fighting. "What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was "certainly" not ready to accept those conditions. "The special military operation continues," he added, using the Kremlin term for the assault launched on February 24. Russia's strikes have destroyed close to half of the Ukrainian energy system and left millions in the cold and dark at the onset of winter. In the latest estimates from Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, said as many as 13,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the fighting. Both Moscow and Kyiv are suspected of minimising their losses to avoid damaging the morale. Top US general Mark Milley last month said more than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv's forces likely suffering similar casualties. - 'We are not defeated' - The fighting in Ukraine has also claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions to flee their homes. Those who remain in the country have had to cope with emergency blackouts as authorities sought to relieve the pressure on the energy infrastructure. In an attempt to boost the mood in the capital Kyiv, musicians played a classical music concert on Thursday with hundreds of LED candles lighting up the stage. "We thought it was a good idea to save energy," Irina Mikolaenko, one of the concert's organisers, told AFP. She said they wanted to spread "inspiration, light and love" and "tell people that we are not defeated". Ukrainian officials have said they are expecting a new wave of Russian attacks shortly. Meanwhile, Western nations have been seeking ways to further starve Russia of resources to fight in Ukraine by imposing a price cap on its oil exports on top of a multitude of sanctions already introduced against Moscow. On Thursday evening, European diplomats were close to nodding the plan through, but Poland refused to back the scheme, saying the $60 a barrel ceiling was not low enough. Moscow has previously warned that it will not export oil to countries enforcing a price cap. bur/bp

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday  Russia's strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure were "inevitable" as the Kremlin rejected US President Joe Biden's terms for talks and warned the assault would continue. After suffering humiliating military defeats during what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in October, causing sweeping blackouts. Speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since mid-September, Putin slammed what he called the West's "destructive" policies in Ukraine and said Russian strikes were a response to "provocative" attacks from Kyiv. Moscow "had long refrained from precision missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine", Putin told Scholz, according to a Kremlin readout of the phone talks. "But now such measures have become a forced and inevitable response to Kyiv's provocative attacks on Russia's civilian infrastructure," the Kremlin said, referring in particular to the October attack on a bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland. During the hour-long  call with Putin, Scholz "urged the Russian president to come as quickly as possible to a diplomatic solution including the withdrawal of Russian troops", according to the German leader's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Putin urged Berlin to "reconsider its approaches in the context of the Ukrainian events", the Kremlin said. He accused the West of carrying out "destructive" policies in Ukraine, stressing that its political and financial aid "leads to the fact that Kyiv completely rejects the idea of any negotiations". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruled out any talks with Russia while Putin is in power shortly after the Kremlin claimed to have annexed several Ukrainian regions. - Offensive 'continues' - The Kremlin also indicated Moscow was in no mood for talks over Ukraine, after Biden said he would be willing to sit down with Putin if the Russian leader truly wanted to end the fighting. "What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was "certainly" not ready to accept those conditions. "The special military operation continues," he added, using the Kremlin term for the assault launched on February 24. Russia's strikes have destroyed close to half of the Ukrainian energy system and left millions in the cold and dark at the onset of winter. In the latest estimates from Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, said as many as 13,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the fighting. Both Moscow and Kyiv are suspected of minimising their losses to avoid damaging the morale. Top US general Mark Milley last month said more than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv's forces likely suffering similar casualties. - 'We are not defeated' - The fighting in Ukraine has also claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions to flee their homes. Those who remain in the country have had to cope with emergency blackouts as authorities sought to relieve the pressure on the energy infrastructure. In an attempt to boost the mood in the capital Kyiv, musicians played a classical music concert on Thursday with hundreds of LED candles lighting up the stage. "We thought it was a good idea to save energy," Irina Mikolaenko, one of the concert's organisers, told AFP. She said they wanted to spread "inspiration, light and love" and "tell people that we are not defeated". Ukrainian officials have said they are expecting a new wave of Russian attacks shortly. Meanwhile, Western nations have been seeking ways to further starve Russia of resources to fight in Ukraine by imposing a price cap on its oil exports on top of a multitude of sanctions already introduced against Moscow. On Thursday evening, European diplomats were close to nodding the plan through, but Poland refused to back the scheme, saying the $60 a barrel ceiling was not low enough. Moscow has previously warned that it will not export oil to countries enforcing a price cap. bur/bp

The Kremlin has reported on a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, and Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany. Source: European Pravda Details: The Kremlin has stated that the conversation took place at the initiative of the German side.

Russia has rejected Western demands that it pulls out completely from Ukraine as part of any future talks to end the war, saying they effectively rule out any talks on settling the conflict.

Germany and Norway are urging NATO to set up a center tasked with protecting undersea infrastructure such as gas pipelines and telecommunication cables

Germany and Norway are urging NATO to set up a center tasked with protecting undersea infrastructure such as gas pipelines and telecommunication cables.

Germany’s parliament is expected to approve a resolution labeling as genocide Ukraine’s 1930s “Holodomor” — a famine believed to have killed more than 3 million Ukrainians under the repressive rule of Soviet leader Josef Stalin

Germany’s parliament has approved a resolution recognizing as genocide Ukraine’s 1930s “Holodomor” — a famine believed to have killed more than 3 million Ukrainians under the repressive rule of Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Qatar is to supply liquefied natural gas to Germany under a 15-year deal as the European economic powerhouse scrambles to replace Russian gas supplies that were cut during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Senior members of the smallest party in Germany’s coalition government are seeking to hit the brakes on plans to ease the rules for obtaining German citizenship

Fleeing shelling, civilians have streamed out of the southern Ukrainian city whose recapture they had celebrated just weeks earlier.

The French president has an opportunity to improve Trump-frayed ties with the US — and help Europe too.

Normally when the World Cup comes around, Germans happily wave their country’s flag and enthusiastically back their team.

Normally when the World Cup comes around, Germans proudly fly their country’s flag and enthusiastically back their team. Anyone walking around Berlin this week will struggle to notice any signs of World Cup fervor. There are no flags, no signs, no public viewing events – no indication that the soccer-mad country’s bid for a fifth world title is about to begin with a game against Japan on Tuesday.

A Swedish prosecutor says investigators have found traces of explosives at the Baltic Sea site where two gas natural pipelines were damaged in what he called an act of “gross sabotage.”.

The family of imprisoned Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah says that they have seen him and that his condition has “deteriorated severely.”.

China and India, after months of refusing to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, did not stand in the way of the release of a statement by the world’s leading economies that harshly criticized Moscow.

A senior German opposition official has lobbied the European Union to block the government’s plans to decriminalize the possession of limited amounts of cannabis and allow its sale for recreational purposes

A United Nations official says the U.N. is “cautiously optimistic” a wartime deal that has enabled Ukraine to export grain and Russia to ship its grain and fertilizer to world markets will be renewed.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have taken a united stance on continuing to work with China.

The family of Egypt’s imprisoned hunger-striking activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah says he has started drinking water again.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is leaving his country’s COVID-19 bubble and venturing abroad next week into a dramatically changed world marked by rising confrontation.

German lawmakers have approved a plan to keep the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants until mid-April.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry indicated no shift in position with regard to a jailed activist who is on a hunger and water strike.

Ukrainian delegates hope their presence at COP27 will keep the war fresh in people's minds and spark broader discussions about the world's reliance on fossil fuels.

The German government has blocked the sale of a chip factory to a Swedish subsidiary of a Chinese company.

The second day of leaders’ speeches at the UN’s climate conference included bold proposals, recommendations to crack down and standardize “net zero” claims and continued discussion about the situation of a jailed pro-democracy activist who is on a hunger and water strike

The second day of leaders' speeches at the UN's climate conference included bold proposals, recommendations to crack down and standardize “net zero” claims and continued discussion about the situation of a jailed pro-democracy activist who is on a hunger and water strike.

The family of one of Egypt’s top jailed pro-democracy activists warn that the clock is ticking on his life as they plead with world leaders at the U.N. climate conference to press Egypt for his release.

Chinese health officials are giving no indication of any relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions following several days of speculation that the government was considering changes to a “zero-COVID” approach that has stymied economic growth and disrupted daily life.

After a meeting with Xi in Beijing, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the two leaders agreed that with the use of nuclear weapons, Russia would cross a line drawn by the international community.

German officials are urging environmental activists to engage in “constructive” protests and avoid endangering lives.

Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized democracies have rallied support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s invasion.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for peace talks over Ukraine and warned against the conflict going nuclear in a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who urged China to exert its influence on Russia.

As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to China to meet with President Xi Jinping on Friday, he is under political pressure at home, and from Washington, to rethink Berlin's relationship with Beijing.

Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized democracies are seeking to expand unified positions on Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing global economic clout and Iran's crackdown on anti-government protestors.

Allies in Germany, Europe and the United States have raised concerns about his ability to deliver a clear message.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told leaders of six Balkan countries that aspire to join the European Union that “it is high time to overcome regional conflicts” and stand together as Russia wages war in Ukraine.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is making his first visit to China as German leader this week, a diplomatically delicate trip while Germany and the European Union work on their strategy toward an increasingly assertive and authoritarian Beijing.

Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized democracies will grapple with the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s growing economic clout and aims on Taiwan and Iran’s treatment of anti-government protesters when they open two days of talks in Germany this week.

German climate activists attacked art works and set up blockades that allegedly delayed the arrival of a specialist rescue crew to the accident scene.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is urging climate activists to show “creativity” and avoid endangering others after attacking art works and setting up blockades that allegedly delayed the arrival of a specialist rescue crew at an accident scene

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is urging climate activists to show “creativity” and avoid endangering others after attacking art works and setting up blockades that allegedly delayed the arrival of a specialist rescue crew at an accident scene.

Germany's pension system will collapse without reform, employment association president tells German newspaper Bild.

World leaders have expressed sadness and condolences after at least 151 people were killed in a crowd surge Saturday night in Seoul, South Korea.

Germany makes a convenient punching bag for France, but the two essential EU powers need to avoid giving Putin what he wants.

Germany makes a convenient punching bag for France, but the two essential EU powers need to avoid giving Putin what he wants.

French President Emmanuel Macron is vowing to implement a pension reform that would eventually raise the retirement age by three years to 65 and make younger generations work longer.

French President Emmanuel Macron questioned the wisdom of allowing China to invest heavily and providing Beijing influence over vital European infrastructure.

The leaders of Germany and France are meeting Wednesday in Paris, but this encounter almost got cancelled as tensions between both sides grow.

Germany’s health minister has unveiled plans to decriminalize the possession of up to 30 grams (1 ounce) of cannabis and allow the sale of the substance to adults for recreational purposes

Germany’s health minister has unveiled plans to decriminalize the possession of up to 30 grams (about 1 ounce) of cannabis and allow the sale of the substance to adults for recreational purposes in a controlled market.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz thrashed it out for three hours in Paris in hopes of bridging gaps between the two neighbors and key EU allies on energy, defense and the economy.

European Union nations have given themselves yet another month to overcome deep differences on groundbreaking measures to shield their citizens from the energy crisis.

German and European Union leaders have gathered experts to start work on what they describe as a “new Marshall Plan” for the rebuilding of Ukraine.

The EU moved one step closer to establishing a cap on gas prices after several months of discussions, with Germany now conceding that the idea "makes sense."

The German parliament has cleared the way for the government to provide up to 200 billion euros in subsidies to households and businesses to ease the strain of high energy prices.

European Union leaders are struggling to find immediate practical solutions on how to deal with the energy crisis but avoid an open rift between Germany and France.

The European Union has opened a two-day summit on how to cap gas prices amid an energy crisis caused by Russia. Germany and France are in opposing camps regarding the issue.

The fight over which weapons to give Ukraine is really a disagreement about Germany.

European Union leaders are struggling to reach an agreement on ways to ease soaring energy prices as winter approaches.

Lawmakers from two junior governing parties have slammed plans for Chinese shipping group COSCO to take a major stake in the operator of Germany's biggest container terminal.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that Russia’s war in Ukraine must not lead to a “worldwide renaissance” for coal.

European Union leaders struggled to find immediate practical solutions at their summit called to grapple with the energy crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine and maintain a united front in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin coercion.

Germany’s foreign minister says there’s no guarantee that this year’s United Nations climate talks will result in an agreement that’s backed by all sides.

Germany wants to massively expand the country’s charging network for electric cars.

Senior members of Germany’s environmentalist Green party have indicated that they would accept Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to extend the lifetime of the country’s three remaining nuclear plants for a few months.

The German foreign minister says her country must avoid repeating with China the mistakes it made in its relationship with Russia over recent years

European Union leaders enter a crucial stretch this week to make sure runaway energy prices and short supplies do not further weaken their struggling economies and foment unrest.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ordered preparations to allow all of the country’s three remaining nuclear reactors to continue operating until mid-April.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ordered his ministers to prepare to keep all of Germany’s three remaining nuclear plants running until mid-April to fend off a possible energy crunch over the winter.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ordered ministers Monday to prepare to keep all of the country's three remaining nuclear plants running until mid-April, putting his foot down on an issue that had threatened to split his three-party government. The decision comes as Germany tries to prevent a possible energy crunch due to cuts in fuel supplies from Russia over the war in Ukraine. The environmentalist Greens, led by Economy and Energy Minister Robert Habeck, had argued that only two nuclear plants in southern Germany — Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 — should be able to keep operating beyond the scheduled shutdown on Dec. 31 to ease possible power shortages over the winter.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain have started a state visit to Germany that was delayed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic and will see the monarch and Germany’s president open the annual Frankfurt Book Fair.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for reforms of the European Union to make it fit for the admission of new countries as well as more military autonomy of the 27-country pact.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called for reforms of the European Union to make it fit for the admission of new countries as well as more military autonomy of the 27-country bloc. Speaking at the Congress of the Party of European Socialists in Berlin, Scholz advocated for gradually abolishing the principle of unanimity for decisions in foreign policy, but also in other areas such as tax policy. “I know that we still have a lot of convincing to do there,” the chancellor said.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made it known that Germany plans to strengthen its relationship with Mongolia, which possesses key natural resource commodities.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country wants to strengthen ties to Mongolia, citing the country’s wealth of key commodities such as copper and rare earth metals.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended decisions made during her tenure to buy natural gas from Russia.

A senior German state official has announced his resignation amid questions over his management of deadly floods that hit his region last year.

Berlin’s openness to joint EU borrowing to cushion surging gas prices shows the cost of inaction became too great.

Projections show Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left party winning a German state election in which the environmentalist Greens and the far-right made gains as the country faces high inflation and worries about energy supplies this winter.

After years of listening to German lectures on austerity, E.U. leaders were flummoxed over its $200-billion plan to protect its residents and companies from high energy prices.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week announced a package worth 200 billion euros ($198 billion) designed to help with soaring energy prices.

French President Emmanuel Macron and over 40 European leaders have sought to show the unity of the continent faced with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the French government will not support building a new pipeline that will deliver gas from Iberia to the rest of Europe.

Germany's economy minister has accused the U.S. and other "friendly" gas supplier states of astronomical prices for their gas supplies

(Bloomberg) -- The US and Germany remain stuck on efforts to send battle tanks to Ukraine, as officials contend with logistical issues and Europe’s own defensive requirements, along with concern about escalating tensions with Russia, according to people familiar with the discussions.Most Read from BloombergGermany Suspects Sabotage Hit Russia’s Nord Stream PipelinesApple Ditches iPhone Production Increase After Demand FaltersAlzheimer’s Progression Slowed by Drug in Major TrialPutin’s Mobilizati

"It's really important that economic growth, energy security and climate action must be worked at together," said Mariam Almheiri.

Welcome to Elements, Bloomberg’s daily energy and commodities newsletter. Today’s s take looks at the stunning surge in lithium prices. Back in the world of Europe’s gas crunch, Germany is spending billions more to buy LNG as Chancellor Scholz flies to the Middle East with his eye on long-term supply deals. Finally, to get this email direct into your inbox every week day, click here.

Germany's reticence has prompted critics to look for ulterior motives for its reluctance — with some citing World War II.

Germany’s foreign minister is putting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to decide soon whether to supply Ukraine with advanced tanks as it seeks to reclaim more of its captured territory from Russia

Germany’s foreign minister is putting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to decide soon whether to supply Ukraine with advanced tanks as it seeks to reclaim more of its captured territory from Russia. Kyiv has said it would like to get German Leopard-2 tanks, but Berlin has so far rebuffed that request while delivering other weaponry, such as howitzers and self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons. In an interview with daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published Thursday, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a decision on delivering modern battle tanks to Ukraine could only be taken jointly by Germany’s governing three-party coalition and its international partners.

The organization that handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis says Germany has agreed to pay approximately $1.2 billion (euros) for home care and compensation for Holocaust survivors living around the world in 2023

After stunning success in ousting Russian troops from Kharkiv, Ukraine says it urgently needs armor for its southern offensive but Germany is refusing to send battle tanks

Officials say the cost of the German chancellery’s planned building extension will rise to 777 million euros ($773 million), which is 177 million euros more than initially planned

After decades of neglect and the stigma of its Nazi past, Germany warms up to the idea of rebuilding its army, thanks to the war in Ukraine.

Since the United States provided Ukraine with 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (or HIMARS), the launchers are changing the face of battle, becoming a key weapon in Ukraine's counteroffensive against invading Russian forces. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin visits the Lockheed Martin plant where the highly-effective precision rocket launchers are built; and a test range where HIMARS crews are trained to "shoot and scoot."

The stench is gone and, slowly, the fish are returning to the Emscher, a river through western Germany’s industrial heartland that for decades was not just a blot on the landscape but officially deemed an open sewer

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is calling for a growing European Union to agree on a series of changes that would help it overcome internal divisions and stand up to external rivals such as Russia and China