German and Russian foreign ministers meet in New York, first such contact since 2022 invasion
Germany's Johann Wadephul and Russia's Sergei Lavrov met on September 26 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the first foreign-minister-level meeting between the two countries since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Wadephul said he saw no Russian readiness to negotiate an end to the war and warned Berlin would keep supporting Ukraine and applying economic pressure on Russia. Lavrov rejected German accusations of Russian involvement in the Leipzig airport drone incident.
Key points
- Foreign ministers Johann Wadephul of Germany and Sergei Lavrov of Russia met on September 26 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
- The meeting was the first foreign-minister-level contact between Germany and Russia since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, the meeting lasted slightly more than 20 minutes.
- Wadephul said he saw no readiness from the Russian side to heed his call to begin negotiations on ending the war.
- Wadephul raised the Leipzig airport drone incident, which Berlin considers an attempted Russian sabotage, calling it a red line; Lavrov rejected the accusations.
- Wadephul said Germany's support for Ukraine is unwavering and that Berlin will maintain economic pressure on Russia.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha spoke by phone with Wadephul after the meeting and said Wadephul conveyed firm joint positions, including the demand that Moscow end the war.
Why it matters
The meeting is the first foreign-minister-level contact between Berlin and Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion, a signal of possible diplomatic movement even as Germany's top diplomat emerged with no apparent breakthrough. The encounter comes against a backdrop of European sabotage allegations against Russia and continued Western military support for Ukraine, and underlines Berlin's position that any decisions about Ukraine's future belong to Ukrainians themselves.
What happened
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 26 in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly, in the first foreign-minister-level contact between the two countries since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia's Foreign Ministry said the meeting lasted slightly more than 20 minutes and covered the situation around Ukraine and bilateral relations, and that it took place at the German side's initiative. Wadephul said he saw no Russian readiness to heed his call to begin negotiations on ending the war, and warned Berlin would continue comprehensive support for Ukraine and maintain economic pressure on Russia. He raised the Leipzig airport drone incident, which Germany considers an attempted Russian sabotage, and called on Moscow to abandon the path of escalation. Lavrov rejected the German accusations over the Leipzig incident and, at a press conference, said Wadephul had called for Ukrainian concessions and a Black Sea arrangement to allow shipping to pass without problems, a characterization Wadephul did not confirm. After the meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha spoke by phone with Wadephul and said the German minister had conveyed firm joint positions, including the demand that Moscow end the war and a warning against further hostile actions against Europe.
Where reporting differs
Wadephul said he did not negotiate on Ukraine's future because that decision belongs to Ukrainians, while Lavrov claimed Wadephul had called for Ukrainian concessions and a Black Sea arrangement to allow tankers and cargo ships to pass without problems. Wadephul raised the Leipzig airport drone incident and called it a red line, while Lavrov rejected German accusations of Russian involvement.
Background
The previous meeting between the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of Russia and Germany took place on January 18, 2022, in Moscow, when the German Foreign Ministry was led by Annalena Baerbock. That visit occurred amid a growing concentration of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and US intelligence reports of Russia's preparation for an attack, weeks before the full-scale invasion began.