Scholz, Putin spend over 1 hour talking about truce in Ukraine, food crisis - German govt spokesman

BERLIN. May 13 (Interfax) - The phone call between German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin lasted for 75 minutes on Friday, and the sides were discussing Ukraine, German government spokesman Steffen Heberstreit said.

"Given the serious military situation and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, especially in Mariupol, the chancellor insisted on the soonest ceasefire, an improvement of the humanitarian situation, and progress in the search for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the conversation with the Russian president," Heberstreit said.

The sides also discussed the global food situation.

"The chancellor and the Russian president also spoke about the global food situation," Heberstreit said. Scholz pointed out the special responsibility for Russia given the tense food situation that had emerged in the context of the events in Ukraine.

Scholz said earlier that his phone call with Putin was long and he declared the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine. "There is need for the soonest ceasefire in Ukraine," he said on Twitter.

Earlier, the Kremlin said that Putin and Scholz had a telephone conversation at the latter's initiative.

The sides "continued to discuss the situation in Ukraine with an emphasis on humanitarian issues," the Kremlin's press service said. "A principled assessment of the status of the Russian-Ukrainian talks, which are practically blocked by Kyiv, has been given," it said. Putin and Scholz "agreed that the discussion of the aforesaid issues would be continued via contacts through various channels," the press service said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The West responded with massive sanctions on Russia.