Putin, Scholz to hold first direct phone call in two years

Germany, Ukraine’s main European backer, is currently facing internal turmoil, with its center-left coalition weakened and opposition leader Friedrich Merz eyeing the chancellorship. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are set to hold their first direct phone call in nearly two years on Nov. 15. President-elect Trump is reportedly preparing to appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations, raising concerns in Europe that such a deal would affect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.Is the Ukraine peace talks around the corner ?