"The conversation with Obama concerned Ukraine and Syria, and was not about other issues," the spokeswoman told a regular government news conference in Berlin when asked whether the U.S. demand was raised during the phone call.

A Finance Ministry spokesman said: "We are making no comment whatsoever on any speculation about Deutsche Bank." The German government this week denied a newspaper report that it was working on a rescue plan for the bank whose problems are sending tremors through global markets.

(Reporting by Paul Carrel and Michael Nienaber)