Germany's Scholz, Russia's Putin discuss Ukraine in phone call

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday to find a diplomatic solution for the conflict in Ukraine based on a ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops as soon as possible, a German government spokesperson said.

In the 90-minute call, Scholz emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and appealed to Putin to continue to fully implement the United Nations-backed grain agreement, spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit added.

"The Federal Chancellor emphasized that any further Russian annexation steps would not go unanswered and would not be recognized under any circumstances," Hebestreit said in the statement, adding that Scholz and Putin agreed to remain in contact.

Scholz also called on Putin to stick to a deal on grain exports from Ukraine which Moscow has repeatedly criticised.

He urged Putin "not to discredit and continue to fully implement" the grain deal in light of the stretched global food supply, the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.