Ukraine slams Germany's Scholz after call with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Germany's Olaf Scholz of playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin after the chancellor spoke by phone to the Kremlin chief for the first time in almost two years.

In the call, Mr Scholz "condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and called on President Putin to end it and withdraw troops", the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.

The German leader "urged Russia to show willingness to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace", Mr Hebestreit added in a statement.

Mr Scholz also stressed "Germany's unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression for as long as necessary".

The call comes at a crucial juncture in the war. Ukrainian troops are coming under pressure and the election of Donald Trump in the United States has cast doubt over continued US support for Ukraine.

Russian officials said Mr Putin had a "detailed and frank exchange of views over the situation in Ukraine" with Mr Scholz, with the call initiated by the German side.

Mr Putin told the German chancellor that any agreement to end the war in Ukraine "should take into account the security interests of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin added.

An accord should "proceed from the new territorial realities and, most importantly, address the root causes of the conflict".

Russia has demanded that Ukrainians surrender four regions as a precondition for talks, which Ukriane has rejected.

Ukraine contact

Before picking up the phone to Mr Putin, the German leader spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Scholz's spokesman said.

The German and Ukrainian leaders spoke "beforehand and will do so again after the conversation with the Russian president", the spokesman said.

The call between Mr Scholz and the Russian president was the first time the two have been in contact since December 2022.

During the hour-long call, Mr Scholz "particularly condemned the Russian air strikes against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine", said a German government source.

"He made it clear that sending North Korean soldiers to Russia for combat missions against Ukraine would lead to a serious escalation and expansion of the conflict," the source added.

Germany would keep NATO and European Union allies informed over the talks, while the German and Russian leaders had "agreed to remain in contact".

Mr Scholz's December 2022 call with Putin was the last known phone call between the Kremlin chief and the leader of a major Western country.

Trump factor

Almost 1,000 days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine is bracing for what could be the most difficult winter of the war so far.

Ukraine is bracing for the most difficult winter so far in the war, which began in February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Much of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian bombardments and Ukrainian troops are increasingly on the back foot.

Germany has been one of Ukraine's biggest military supporters, second only to the United States in the aid it has sent to the war-torn nation.

However, the election of Mr Trump, who criticised aid to Ukraine on the campaign trail, has called into question Washington's continued support.

Mr Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Mr Putin.

Read more: Trump and the EU: Everything Everywhere all at Once

Russia has denied reports that Mr Putin and the president-elect of the United States recently discussed the Ukraine conflict by phone.

Mr Scholz, who did speak with Trump following his election win, told the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that the incoming US leader had a "more nuanced" position on the conflict than was commonly thought.