German Chancellor Scholz may visit Russia on 'peace mission'

According to RIA Novosti, the German newspaper Spiegel reported that within Germany's largest opposition party - the Christian Democratic Union, there is speculation that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may carry out a peace mission to Moscow in the coming days.

In their reports, the media described the situation as occurring at the German Parliament meeting on December 16 to pass a vote of no confidence in Mr. Scholz's government.

Spiegel reported that a CDU member revealed that “his old acquaintance and his company are members of the Eastern Economic Committee of Germany, which has had excellent relations with the Kremlin for decades. And the Eastern Committee is convinced that Chancellor Scholz will go on a “peace mission” to Moscow in the coming days.”

According to the Spiegel publication, the CDU is concerned that, in the last two months before the early parliamentary elections, Chancellor Scholz could make a surprise move, and change the course of the election campaign.

However, Spiegel did not give any official confirmation about the German leader's plans to visit Moscow.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scholz himself said earlier on December 20 at a joint press conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal that he intended to talk again with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The first phone call between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Vladimir Putin at Berlin's initiative took place on November 15, since the Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022. Regarding this phone call, President Putin said that the participants exchanged opinions, but each maintained his own point of view.