German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has firmly denied rumors about an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling them “false” and “baseless.” The speculation originated from a controversial social media post by Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which Scholz condemned as “deeply inappropriate.”

On January 4, Kiesewetter claimed on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Scholz was planning to visit Moscow before February 23. He also suggested that a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump was scheduled for March. While the post has since been deleted, it sparked a flurry of media attention and prompted strong reactions from German and Russian officials.

Speaking in Berlin on January 5, Scholz criticized Kiesewetter’s claims during a leadership meeting of his Social Democratic Party (SPD). The chancellor dismissed the rumors as “completely unfounded” and accused the CDU politician of undermining trust during a sensitive geopolitical moment. “These baseless assertions are not only defamatory but also dangerous,” Scholz stated, emphasizing that no such meeting had been planned.

The German government swiftly moved to refute the claims, with government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit labeling Kiesewetter’s post as “entirely fabricated” and “malicious.” Hebestreit told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) that there were no considerations for a trip to Moscow, adding, “Such a visit would make no sense at all in the current context.” The spokesperson also revealed that legal action against Kiesewetter was being........

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