German and Russian foreign ministers hold rare UN meeting amid worsening ties

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a rare meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, amid deteriorating relations between Russia and Germany and the wider European Union. The discussion was believed to be the ministers’ first one-to-one meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A German delegation official said Wadephul called on Moscow to abandon what he described as a dangerous course of escalation toward Germany, Europe and NATO.

According to the official, Wadephul said Germany remained open to improving relations, but that this would require Russia’s leadership to demonstrate a genuine willingness to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes, the German news agency dpa reported, and ended with the ministers shaking hands. The encounter took place shortly before Lavrov addressed the General Assembly.

In his speech, he defended Russia’s war in Ukraine and criticised Western countries, including Germany. He also rejected the idea of Germany or Japan receiving permanent seats on the UN Security Council, despite long-standing US support for such changes. Lavrov argued that Western countries were attempting to preserve their privileges and impose their rules globally, while a more multipolar international system was emerging.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova separately said diplomats had come to meet Lavrov and thank Russia. The meeting followed heightened tensions after an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport, which Germany has blamed on Russia, and retaliatory measures by both sides. At the same time, fighting in and around Ukraine has intensified, with both countries reporting deadly attacks on Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged partners to maintain pressure on Russia, while discussions continued about possible technical talks involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia. Previous three-way negotiations produced no significant breakthrough.