Ukraine blasted Olaf Scholz's telephone diplomacy with Vladimir Putin, as many of Kyiv's allies took a dim view of the German chancellor's phone call with the Russian president.

Germany said the hour-long call on Friday was aimed at urging the Kremlin leader to enter talks to end his war on Ukraine. But the first direct communication between Scholz and Putin in almost two years marked a shift from allied efforts to isolate the Russian leader since his invasion and drew quick criticism.