Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met on Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, officials from both sides said, in the first direct talks between the two countries' top diplomats since before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The meeting focused on bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, according to the Russian foreign ministry. A source in the German delegation said Wadephul pressed Lavrov to do "everything possible" to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea.
A plea on grain and food security
Shipping through the Black Sea has been sharply curtailed in recent months as Ukraine and Russia have targeted each other's port infrastructure and vessels. Kyiv and its allies are now pushing for a limited ceasefire covering the Black Sea and strikes on energy infrastructure, though Moscow has given no public indication that it supports the idea.
Wadephul told Lavrov that "time is of the essence," adding that "given the food shortages in many countries — particularly in the Global South — all parties must be willing to engage constructively," according to the German delegation source. He also said "a pragmatic solution could pave the way for further concrete steps."
Deep freeze and the Leipzig drone row
Relations between Moscow and Berlin have been frozen since the 2022 invasion, and they deteriorated further after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August. The German government said earlier this month that it had concluded Russia was behind the attempted drone attack, and responded by closing a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.
The Russian embassy in Berlin rejected the accusations, calling them a "fabricated provocation" and "a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany."
Wadephul used the talks to call on Russia to abandon "the dangerous path of escalation vis-à-vis Germany, Europe, and NATO," the delegation source said. He added that incidents such as the attempted attack in Leipzig, or further hybrid attacks, would not weaken Germany's resolve to keep supporting Ukraine.
Sources:
At UN, Russia and Germany's top diplomats hold first talks since 2022 — Reuters
The meeting focused on bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, according to the Russian foreign ministry. A source in the German delegation said Wadephul pressed Lavrov to do "everything possible" to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea.
A plea on grain and food security
Shipping through the Black Sea has been sharply curtailed in recent months as Ukraine and Russia have targeted each other's port infrastructure and vessels. Kyiv and its allies are now pushing for a limited ceasefire covering the Black Sea and strikes on energy infrastructure, though Moscow has given no public indication that it supports the idea.
Wadephul told Lavrov that "time is of the essence," adding that "given the food shortages in many countries — particularly in the Global South — all parties must be willing to engage constructively," according to the German delegation source. He also said "a pragmatic solution could pave the way for further concrete steps."
Deep freeze and the Leipzig drone row
Relations between Moscow and Berlin have been frozen since the 2022 invasion, and they deteriorated further after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August. The German government said earlier this month that it had concluded Russia was behind the attempted drone attack, and responded by closing a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.
The Russian embassy in Berlin rejected the accusations, calling them a "fabricated provocation" and "a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany."
Wadephul used the talks to call on Russia to abandon "the dangerous path of escalation vis-à-vis Germany, Europe, and NATO," the delegation source said. He added that incidents such as the attempted attack in Leipzig, or further hybrid attacks, would not weaken Germany's resolve to keep supporting Ukraine.
Sources:
At UN, Russia and Germany's top diplomats hold first talks since 2022 — Reuters
