Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s phone conversation with Vladimir Putin had opened “Pandora’s box”, undermining efforts to isolate the Russian leader.

“Now there may be other conversations, other phone calls. Just a lot of words. And this is exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation,” Zelensky said in an afternoon speech.

Phone calls with Putin are of no value in the pursuit of peace

Ukraine said today that phone talks with Vladimir Putin did not add any value to the path to a “just peace” in Ukraine, after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with the Russian leader.

“For more than two decades, Putin has used lengthy talks as a means to advance his interests. Currently, the talks only give Putin the hope of weakening international isolation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tihii said in a statement.