Putin sits down with Germany’s Scholz in Moscow to discuss Ukraine

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz begin in Moscow, the latest meeting in weeks of diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions over Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, we will devote a significant portion of our time to issues related to the situation in Europe and to security,” including Ukraine, Putin says during opening remarks at the beginning of the talks.

Scholz’s meeting with Putin comes a day after he traveled to Kyiv to shore up support for Ukraine during talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meeting also follows a visit to Russia from French President Emmanuel Macron last week.

“It’s clear that we now have to talk about the difficult situation regarding security in Europe,” the German leader says at the onset of talks with Putin.

The Russian president says that energy issues would also be on the agenda.