German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held their first talks in two years.

The leaders apparently failed to narrow their differences over Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

The German and Russian governments announced that Scholz and Putin spoke over the phone on Friday for the first time since December, 2022.

German officials say the chancellor condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and warned that the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia for combat missions against Ukraine could result in an expansion of the conflict.

Scholz reportedly called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and be prepared to enter into serious negotiations with Kyiv with an aim to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

Russia's presidential office says Putin noted that the Russian side remains open to resuming negotiations, and that possible agreements should take into account Russia's security interests and proceed from what it called the "new territorial realities."

Putin is believed to have reiterated Russia's claim over four Ukrainian regions.

In 2022, Putin unilaterally declared the annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media on Friday that Scholz's call "opens a Pandora's Box," and that "there may now be other conversations and phone calls."

Zelenskyy said "this is exactly what Putin has long sought." He expressed concerns that the telephone call could lead to further direct discussions between Russian and Western leaders, although such talks have decreased significantly since Russia's invasion.

Zelenskyy stressed that what is needed is "real peace."