The foreign ministers of Russia and Germany have held their first talks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, discussed bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine amid continued tensions between Moscow and Berlin.
Wadephul urged Russia to work towards an agreement restoring grain exports through the Black Sea, warning that food shortages in several countries, particularly across the Global South, made progress urgent. He also called for an immediate ceasefire and expressed Germany’s continued support for Ukraine.
Russia has been holding discussions with India, Egypt and Turkey on proposals aimed at ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea, Lavrov said, while insisting that separate discussions with Ukraine would also be necessary.
The meeting comes after relations between Russia and Germany deteriorated further following a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. Germany has accused Russia of responsibility, while Moscow has rejected the allegation.
Lavrov said the talks produced no information from Germany that had not already been publicly stated, underscoring the limited progress despite the high-level diplomatic contact.
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