
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the first such talks since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Wadephul urged Moscow to abandon its “dangerous path of escalation” against Germany, Europe and NATO, citing an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in August that Berlin attributes to Russia’s GRU. He said such hybrid assaults would not weaken Germany’s support for Ukraine, according to a German delegation statement .
Lavrov dismissed Wadephul’s concerns, accusing Germany of prolonging the war by backing Ukraine. In his UN address, Lavrov claimed Europe was “doing everything” to thwart peace talks and vowed Russia would achieve its war aims “no matter the circumstances” .
The 22-minute meeting, held behind closed doors, also covered Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians and grain exports. Wadephul condemned strikes on civilian populations and called for safe Black Sea grain shipments, warning of starvation risks for the Global South .
Lavrov later told reporters the talks yielded no breakthrough, saying Wadephul’s positions mirrored public statements. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated the meeting was requested by Germany .
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