Polish President Andrzej Duda states in an interview with the German newspaper: picture government leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron should no longer talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Those talks are fruitless and “give the semblance of legitimacy to someone responsible for the crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine”.
The Polish president says in the interview, which was put on YouTube by the newspaper, that he was “shocked” by the ongoing talks with the Russian leader. And especially because of Macron’s recent call not to humiliate Putin.
“Did anyone speak to Adolf Hitler in this way during World War II,” Duda wonders. “Did someone say that he should be able to save face? That we should arrange it so that it is not humiliating to Adolf Hitler?”
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Macron and Scholz have spoken with Putin several times by phone. Their last conversation was last week. This included the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine. Macron called his talks with Putin “thankful work” in April, but said he saw it as “his duty” to hold an opening.