Saskia Esken, the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), stated that Chancellor Olaf Scholz should allegedly continue communicating with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, according to n-tv.

Esken believes that negotiations could allegedly help understand what can be done to end the full-scale war in Ukraine.

“These negotiations must happen again and again to find out what can be done to finally put an end to the killings and deaths,” she said.

At the same time, the SPD leader added that there is no need for Scholz to meet Putin in person.

“As long as relations remain as they are, it is certainly sufficient to talk by phone,” Esken noted.

Scholz-Putin negotiations

In November 2024, Scholz held a phone conversation with Putin. It was the first such discussion in two years. Later, the chancellor stated that the dictator has not changed his views on the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reacted to the Scholz-Putin talks, stating that dialogue with the Kremlin’s leader will not help achieve a just end to the full-scale war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, remarked that Scholz’s call to Putin is a Pandora’s box.

Saskia Esken, the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), stated that Chancellor Olaf Scholz should allegedly continue communicating with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, according to n-tv.

Esken believes that negotiations could allegedly help understand what can be done to end the full-scale war in Ukraine.

“These negotiations must happen again and again to find out what can be done to finally put an end to the killings and deaths,” she said.

At the same time, the SPD leader added that there is no need for Scholz to meet Putin in person.

“As long as relations remain as they are, it is certainly sufficient to talk by phone,” Esken noted.

Scholz-Putin negotiations

In November 2024, Scholz held a phone conversation with Putin. It was the first such discussion in two years. Later, the chancellor stated that the dictator has not changed his views on the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reacted to the Scholz-Putin talks, stating that dialogue with the Kremlin’s leader will not help achieve a just end to the full-scale war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, remarked that Scholz’s call to Putin is a Pandora’s box.

Ukrainian reconnaissance men destroyed 2 Russian helicopters in the Black Sea. Another helicopter was also shot down, according to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

According to the updated data, as a result of a successful operation of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine in the Black Sea near the temporarily occupied Crimea on December 31, special forces of the Group 13 unit destroyed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters using Magura V5 missiles equipped with marine drones.

According to preliminary information, the crews of these Russian aircraft were also eliminated.

“One more Russian helicopter was hit by fire and managed to land,” the scouts added.

Downing of Russian Mi-8 helicopter

Before that, there was information about one downed Russian Mi-8 helicopter. As previously reported, on December 31, Ukrainian reconnaissance men downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter. For the first time in the world, the operation was carried out using a Magura V5 maritime strike drone.

As the head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov later said, Magura V5 drones had attacked Russian air targets several times before. However, then the Russian equipment still reached the coastline, although it was shot down. On December 31, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down and crashed into the water.

The downing of the Russian helicopter was also reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the calculation of losses for December 31. So far, since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have destroyed 330 Russian helicopters.