German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday dismissed speculation from an opposition lawmaker about a possible trip to Moscow ahead of elections on February 23. "This is a false claim," said Scholz in Berlin.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democratic Party (SPD) colleagues have criticised as false the statements by Roderich Kiesewetter, a politician from the opposition CDU party, alleging Scholz's intent to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin before 23 February.

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has accused an opposition conservative politician of spreading false information about a supposed meeting planned between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin before February's elections.