German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated the need for efforts to end the war in Ukraine and the importance of giving the Russian leadership a corresponding signal that it cannot ignore, the German publication Zeit said on Wednesday.

"In in addition to explicit support for Ukraine, we must also do everything possible to find out how we can ensure that this war does not last forever," Scholz said in a government statement in the Bundestag.

As another German publication, Rheinische Post, reports, the German Chancellor also spoke in favor of negotiations with the Russian leadership in coordination with partners on ending the war in Ukraine, but in no case "over Ukraine's head." "When we are asked whether we will also speak with the Russian president, we say: yes, that is also true," Scholz said, adding that decisions will never be taken "over Ukraine's head and never without coordination with our closest partners."

He also assured Ukraine of continued support from Germany and its allies. According to the chancellor, Ukraine's allies must "send a clear signal that Ukraine can rely on and give a clear signal that the Russian president cannot ignore." Scholz also called Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine "victims of the imperialist madness of the Russian president" in his speech.