BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation to end the war in Ukraine during their first phone call on Friday.

Both leaders agreed on the importance of “close cooperation with the goal of ending the war in Ukraine,” said newly appointed government spokesman Stefan Kornelius in a statement.

Kornelius said Merz also echoed Trump’s call for the Russia-Ukraine war to be ended swiftly.

“Russia must now agree to a ceasefire to create space for negotiations,” Kornelius added, urging the Kremlin to take immediate steps.

Trump pledged to “strongly” support German efforts -- alongside France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and other European partners -- to seek a lasting peace in the region, Kornelius said.

The two leaders also agreed to continue regular exchanges and plan reciprocal visits to the United States and Germany.

Conservative leader Merz, who took office Tuesday as Germany’s 10th chancellor, expressed full support for Trump’s ceasefire initiative during a joint news conference Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

“Let me be very clear: President Trump has our full support in bringing an end to this war and stopping the killings in Ukraine,” Merz said.

“We will work closely with the US, Ukraine, and our European partners for a just, lasting, and sustainable peace. As soon as a ceasefire is agreed, we are ready to participate in its monitoring under the leadership and participation of the US,” he added.

Merz also announced plans to visit Kyiv in the coming weeks to reaffirm Germany’s support for Ukraine.

Asked about possible security guarantees for Ukraine, the chancellor said it was too early to discuss specifics.

“Until there is a permanent ceasefire and a peace agreement with Russia, we cannot provide any information about the extent of the security guarantees that we can offer to Ukraine, because we simply do not know the conditions,” he told reporters.

“From our point of view, it remains important that the US remains involved in this process and also in a later security guarantee framework for Ukraine. Above all, this war must be ended permanently and not, as is currently being proposed, merely paused for a few days,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's declared three-day ceasefire from the morning of May 8 until May 11.