BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare phone call on Friday to begin talks with Ukraine that would open the way for a "just and lasting peace".

Germany's government says that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first such conversation in two years.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Russia to be willing to negotiate with Ukraine in his first call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in nearly two years.The Kremlin responded that Moscow was open to new talks and pointed to Mr Putin’s earlier proposal that Kyiv should cede territory and back off its plans to join Nato.