German and Russian Foreign Ministers Hold First Talks Since 2022 Invasion

On Saturday, Germany's top diplomat Johann Wadephul sat down with Russia's Sergey Lavrov during the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York, marking the first foreign-minister-level dialogue between the two nations since the period before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over four years earlier.¹³⁴

Sharp words on Ukraine

According to a German diplomat, Wadephul urged Russia "to abandon the dangerous path of escalation vis-à-vis Germany, Europe, and NATO" and denounced what he called Russia's continuing, increasingly deliberate assaults on Ukrainian civilians. The diplomat said Wadephul told Lavrov that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers die every month in a hopeless war of positions and that the Russian economy continues to collapse.¹³²

Wadephul said afterward that the two sides did not agree on the key points. "It was an intense conversation," he said, adding, "Of course, we did not reach agreement on key points." He said he had offered to de-escalate over Ukraine but that this had not found open ears in Moscow, according to Deutsche Welle.¹²

Wadephul said Russia's war is aimed at millions of innocent civilians, at Ukraine itself, its culture and the European peace order, and that Moscow's actions endanger crucial grain shipments relied upon by millions of people across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, according to Deutsche Welle. He added that Germany continues to be Ukraine's biggest backer in defending against Russian aggression, and noted that a large majority of General Assembly members have repeatedly denounced that aggression.¹

Leipzig and consulate closures

The talks unfolded amid rising friction, coming after Berlin blamed Moscow for staging an attempted drone strike at Leipzig airport in August, in which the German government said an explosive-laden drone was aimed at two cargo aircraft, according to The Moscow Times. A German diplomat said neither the Leipzig incident nor any additional hybrid warfare tactics would weaken Berlin's commitment to backing Ukraine.¹³⁴

Each country subsequently ordered the closure of the other's consulate, according to Deutsche Welle and The Straits Times. Politico Europe reported that Germany's measures included closing Russia's consulate in Bonn, while Moscow responded by closing Germany's consulate in St. Petersburg.¹³²

The Russian embassy in Berlin dismissed Germany's allegations over the Leipzig incident as "fabricated provocation" and "a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany," according to The Straits Times.³

Russia's account

Lavrov described the sit-down with Wadephul as pointless, saying it offered nothing beyond what Berlin had already stated publicly about the conflict, according to Deutsche Welle. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was Germany that proposed the encounter, which ran roughly 20 minutes, according to The Straits Times.¹³

Zakharova said Berlin insisted on limiting press access and barring recordings of the opening statements, according to The Straits Times. The Moscow Times similarly reported that German officials pushed for curbs on press coverage, such as prohibiting reporters from asking questions or making audio recordings during the opening remarks.³⁴

Wider diplomatic context

The talks came a day after Wadephul welcomed a United States invitation for President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami, saying "Opportunities like this must be seized," according to Politico Europe. Wadephul described the initiative as "a litmus test for Putin."²

According to The Straits Times, Lavrov's previous encounter with a German foreign minister was with Annalena Baerbock in Moscow in January 2022, mere weeks before Russian troops crossed into Ukraine. Germany and Russia's foreign ministers also discussed grain exports via the Black Sea, which have been sharply curtailed as Kyiv and Moscow have targeted each other's port infrastructure, according to The Straits Times.³