SPD leader threatened Kiesewetter with consequences over words about Scholz's visit to Russian Federation

Bundestag deputy from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Roderich Kiesewetter's membership in the parliamentary committee for the control of intelligence services may be in question because of his statements about the meeting between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rolf Mützenich, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) faction in the Bundestag, said on January 5.

"Mützenich said that the union leadership should consider whether Kiesewetter should remain an MP for a longer period of time," the Bild newspaper quoted the politician as saying.

He specified that in the committee where Kiesewetter is a member, very confidential issues are discussed, and due to the statements of the MP the level of trust in him has fallen.

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Earlier in the day, Scholz before the meeting of the SPD presidium in Berlin denied rumors about his possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

At the same time, MP Kiesewetter suggested that Putin might meet with Scholz before the early Bundestag elections scheduled for February 23.

Also, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no plans for the Russian president to meet with Chancellor Scholz and US President-elect Donald Trump.

Prior to that, Scholz said on December 27, 2024, that he wanted to talk to Putin again. According to the chancellor, he had already spoken twice with US President-elect Donald Trump and they had agreed to closely coordinate positions on the topic of the Ukrainian conflict.

On December 20, 2024, Scholz told a press conference that he intended to continue talking to Putin. He made similar remarks on December 12. Der Spiegel magazine also wrote that Scholz might soon visit Moscow on a "peace mission," but the German government ruled out such a possibility.

In mid-November, Putin and Scholz had their first telephone conversation in two years. It took place at the initiative of the German side. Peskov called the fact of such a dialog positive. The Russian leader said on November 28 that the talks were mainly devoted to Ukraine.