German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov held their first bilateral talks in New York since Russia’s war on Ukraine began in 2022. Wadephul said they disagreed on key points and his offer to de-escalate in Ukraine had “not yet found open ears.”
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN General Debate, lasted just over 20 minutes. Lavrov said he saw no progress, telling dpa he had heard nothing beyond Berlin’s public position; he also said Germany requested the meeting at the last minute. Wadephul said future talks depended largely on Russia engaging constructively and stopping the war. He said Ukraine must be involved in decisions about its future and that enabling grain exports, especially from Ukraine, was important to avert hunger in the Global South; he cited Egypt sourcing a third of its grain supplies from Ukraine.
Germany holds Russia responsible for an incident involving an unexploded explosive drone at Leipzig airport; Moscow denies responsibility. Berlin announced sanctions it would impose on Moscow, including termination of the operating contract for the Russian House in Berlin, suspected of serving as cover for espionage. Russia ordered Goethe Institutes in the country to close in response. Deputy Security Council head Dmitri Medvedev said Germany had earned punishment for its “anti-Russian policy” and cited “direct strikes” against German arms companies supplying Ukraine.
