Scholz, Biden and allies agree to keep pushing for Russian ceasefire - German govt

BERLIN (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany, the United States, France, Britain and Italy agreed in a phone call on Tuesday afternoon to keep pushing Russia for a ceasefire and for the withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine, a German government spokesman said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi also agreed to keep up the high sanctions presure on Russia, spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

And they urged Russian President Vladimir Putin "to finally allow the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian help for people in Ukraine and to erect effective humanitarian corridors ... esepcially in the city of Mariupol," Hebestreit.

Finally, the leaders discussed measures to secure energy security and to counter high energy prices.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; editing by Jonathan Oatis)