German and Russian foreign ministers hold first talks since Ukraine invasion

Germany’s foreign minister has urged Russia to abandon what he called a dangerous course of escalation during rare talks with his Russian counterpart in New York. Johann Wadephul met Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. It was the first meeting between the German and Russian foreign ministers since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to the supplied report.

The meeting was requested by Germany, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Wadephul reiterated Berlin’s position on Russia’s war and called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, with particular attention to grain exports and energy infrastructure. A German delegation source said Wadephul also urged Lavrov to do everything possible to reach an agreement on grain exports through the Black Sea.

Attacks on vessels and port infrastructure have restricted grain and energy exports. Lavrov said Russia had discussed proposals for safe navigation in the Black Sea with India, Egypt and Turkey. He said separate discussions with Ukraine were needed, but placed responsibility for attacks on vessels on Kyiv.

Ukraine has said it is open to agreements and blames the consequences of the war on Russia’s invasion. In his UN speech, Lavrov accused Germany of being Kyiv’s main sponsor and seeking to become Europe’s leading military power. He questioned whether Berlin understood the consequences of that policy.

The ministers also discussed bilateral relations. Relations between Berlin and Moscow have been frozen since the invasion and worsened after Germany blamed Russia for a drone incident at Leipzig airport, an allegation Moscow denied.