In a one-hour phone call, Scholz expressed “great concern” and “called on the Russian leadership to immediately cease all hostilities and to allow humanitarian access to the embattled areas”, said German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in a statement.

Putin also informed the Chancellor that a third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine would take place this weekend, the German statement said. 

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that in the phone call, Putin had denied that Russian troops were bombing Ukrainian cities, dismissing such information as fake.

Putin said reports about “the alleged ongoing air strikes of Kyiv and other large cities are gross propaganda fakes,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

He added that dialogue on Ukraine would be possible only if Russian demands are met.

Putin “confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the Ukrainian side, as well as with everyone who wants peace in Ukraine. But under the condition that all Russian demands are met,” the Kremlin said.

These include the neutral and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, its “denazification”, recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and of the “sovereignty” of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.

The two leaders agreed to hold further talks soon. 

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Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also appealed to Putin to end the war in Ukraine immediately.

The Russian president has completely isolated his country internationally, Baerbock said before consultations with foreign ministers in Brussels.

Meanwhile, the number of refugees arriving in Germany from Ukraine has doubled within a day, official figures show. 

Federal Police registered 18,436 refugees by midday on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry in Berlin. On Thursday, the number was 9,436.

The actual number of refugees from Ukraine in Germany is likely higher.