Olaf Scholz held a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Friday in an attempt to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine.

The German chancellor spoke with Putin for the first time in two years amid signs that European leaders are softening on negotiations with the Kremlin.

Donald Trump’s election victory has added fresh impetus to the search for a peace deal, with the president-elect appearing ready to cut aid to Kyiv after promising to end the conflict on “day one” of his administration.

Mr Scholz urged the Russian president to “negotiate with Ukraine” in order to restore “just and lasting peace”, according to a German government spokesman.

Putin said any peace deal would have to take Russia’s security interests into account and reflect “new territorial realities”, according to a read-out from the Kremlin.

The German chancellor revealed plans to speak to Putin on Sunday, when he spoke with Mr Trump to discuss working “toward a return to peace in Europe”.