Germany's Scholz, Trump discuss bilateral relations, Ukraine

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President-elect Donald Trump discussed bilateral relations and global challenges, according to an official statement on Monday.

Late Sunday, Scholz called Trump to personally congratulate him once again on his election as the 47th president of the US, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

"Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with the newly elected American President Donald Trump and once again personally congratulated him on his election victory," he added.

The two leaders exchanged views on the Washington-Berlin relations and current geopolitical issues. Scholz emphasized Germany's commitment to maintaining strong ties with the US, according to the spokesman.

"The Chancellor underlined Germany’s willingness to continue the decades-long successful cooperation between the governments of both countries," Hebestreit stated.

The two leaders also discussed the latest situation in Ukraine and its defensive war against Russia, according to the spokesman.

"They also agreed to work together towards a return to peace in Europe," Hebestreit concluded, without providing further details.