BERLIN (REUTERS) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden agreed in a call on Thursday (May 5) they would not recognise any Russian territorial gains in Ukraine, a German government spokesman said in a statement.

The two leaders also denounced "recent comments of the Russian leadership seeking to discredit the democratically legitimised Ukrainian leadership," the spokesman said.

"They agreed that Ukraine needed to be further substantially and continuously supported in the practice of its legitimate right to self defence," the spokesman added.

Biden "welcomed Germany's provision of security assistance and recent pledge of additional humanitarian aid, as well as their close partnership throughout this crisis," the White House said in its statement on the call.