In about a week, it is expected that Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, will travel to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Erdogan.
This will be the first time that Putin sets foot in a NATO country since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022.
Since the invasion, Putin has generally not had much interaction with leaders from NATO countries, and naturally, there is a good reason for this.
According to Ukraine's former ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, NATO leaders should, however, soon find an opportunity to physically meet with the Russian president.
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russia's President Vladimir Putin need to meet to discuss the situation in Ukraine, stated Andriy Melnyk, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany and the current ambassador to Brazil.
"Why shouldn't Scholz meet with Putin? Perhaps he doesn't need to invite him for a beer in Germany right now or fly to Moscow himself. But even during the Cold War, there were meetings, for instance in Iceland," Andriy Melnyk told NTV in an interview.
The ambassador emphasized that Western countries must find a unique approach to engage with the Russian President.
Melnyk has been known for his bold statements, which have frequently put him at the center of controversies. For example, he sharply criticized German politicians who opposed the delivery of cluster munitions last summer and suggested they "continue sitting on their sofas."
