Sergey Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov is a Russian diplomat who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2004. Before that he was Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004. He is a member of the Security Council of Russia and one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in the country's recent history, known for a hardline stance in Kremlin foreign policy.
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Lavrov calls Germany's response to Leipzig drone incident "the beginning of a real war"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Germany's reaction to an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport as "the beginning of a real war," drawing an analogy to pre-World War II diplomatic closures. Germany officially accused Russia on September 1 of orchestrating the incident, closed Russia's last consulate general in Bonn, and terminated the agreement for the "Russian House" in Berlin. Russia retaliated by announcing closures of German Goethe-Institut branches. No one was injured and Ukrainian Antonov aircraft were not damaged, though the An-124's cargo remains disputed.
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Germany accuses Russia of Leipzig drone attack on Ukrainian cargo plane; two suspects identified
On 1 September Germany formally accused Russia of orchestrating the 4–5 August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport targeting a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft. Investigators have identified two suspects: a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport linked to Russian intelligence, and a Belarusian-Russian citizen who entered the EU on an Italian tourist visa. Berlin announced retaliatory measures, and EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland discussed tightening visa rules for Russian nationals.
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Trump says he'll meet Putin only when Russia and Ukraine are ready to sign a peace deal
On September 2, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately, but wants the meeting to happen only when Russia and Ukraine are ready to conclude a peace agreement. Trump cited personal animosity between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin as the main obstacle to a deal, and suggested the war's end is "pretty close."