Germany's Olaf Scholz calls on Vladimir Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine

BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to take the first step towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
"He must withdraw troops," Scholz said during a visit to Nuthetal in Brandenburg state.
However, there are currently no signs of this happening, he said in response to a question about whether peace negotiations are possible.
Putin must not succeed in his goal of using force to annex parts of a neighbouring country, Scholz said.
The chancellor once again assured Ukraine of Germany's help in its defence against the Russian invasion for as long as necessary.