German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Friday for the first time in nearly two years, discussing the war in Ukraine.

Scholz urged Putin to negotiate a “just and lasting peace” and condemned Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, according to German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit. He also warned against the reported deployment of North Korean troops to aid Russia.

Putin blamed NATO’s policies for the conflict and said any resolution must recognize Russia’s security concerns and “new territorial realities,” according to the Kremlin.

The call comes as Ukraine faces Russian advances in the east and as President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration raises questions about the future of U.S. aid to Kyiv. Trump has pledged to end the war but provided no specifics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the call, saying it weakened efforts to isolate Putin. Scholz reportedly briefed Zelenskyy both before and after the conversation.

Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with Russian airstrikes targeting military and civilian infrastructure.

Source: Al Jazeera