But Ukrainian officials accused Mr Scholz of undermining Western support for Kyiv as it reduced the isolation of Putin, who was made a pariah in the West after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Mr Zelensky, said in a post on social media that Western leaders would only embolden Putin by speaking to him on the phone.
In the same post, which was published on X on Saturday afternoon, he suggested Putin had no interest in a diplomatic solution to the war.
“It is obvious that the “Entity Putin” itself is only inclined to ultimatums, does not assume any negotiations within the framework of international law, and definitely wants to continue the war, seize land, kill, kill, and kill once again. So what is this passion for telephone conversations with the Russian Federation?” he wrote.
The US is the biggest military supporter of Ukraine, having committed or delivered weapons and equipment worth £41.5 billion between February 2022 and June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
But Mr Trump has said the war is a drain on US resources, and claimed he has drawn up a plan to rapidly end the war as a top priority once he is sworn in as America’s 47th President.
Marco Rubio, a Republican senator who has said that the war in Ukraine is in a stalemate, was this week revealed as Mr Trump’s nominee for secretary of state.
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, the president-elect’s preferred candidate for the role of defence secretary, believes the US has spent too much money on supporting Ukraine.