German, Russian Foreign Ministers Hold Rare Meeting At UN

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday in what was believed to be their first face-to-face meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The meeting came amid worsening tensions between Russia and the European Union, shortly before Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly.

During the roughly 20-minute encounter, Wadephul urged Moscow to abandon what Germany described as a “dangerous path of escalation” toward Germany, Europe and NATO, according to a German delegation official.

Germany-Russia ties have deteriorated further in recent weeks following an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport, which Germany has blamed on Russia, followed by retaliatory measures from both sides.

Wadephul said Germany remained open to improving relations but stressed that this would require a genuine willingness from Russia’s leadership to end the war in Ukraine, the official said.

German news agency dpa reported that the meeting took place in a room provided by the Russian side and ended with the two ministers shaking hands.

Lavrov later told reporters that “nothing new came from” the conversation.

Lavrov Criticises West In UNGA Speech

Following the meeting, Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly, where he defended Russia’s war in Ukraine and criticised Western countries, including Germany.

He also rejected calls for Germany or Japan to receive permanent seats on the UN Security Council. The United States has supported permanent seats for Germany, Japan and India.

Criticising NATO and the United States, Lavrov accused the West of trying to preserve its privileges and impose its own rules despite a shifting global balance of power.

“A fairer, multipolar world order is emerging before our very eyes,” Lavrov said, highlighting Russia’s role in BRICS and other international groupings.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova later wrote on Telegram that “tens of diplomats” had met Lavrov to shake his hand and thank Russia.

Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies

Lavrov’s speech came as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continued to intensify. While front-line positions have remained largely unchanged since last year, Russia has continued attacks using cruise and ballistic missiles, glide bombs and drones. Ukraine has also carried out long-range drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and businesses.

Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed four people on Saturday, while Russian authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed three.

Western analysts have estimated that hundreds of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian military personnel have been killed or wounded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv regularly publishes comprehensive figures for its own military casualties.

Zelensky Calls For More Pressure On Moscow

The war has also disrupted global fuel, fertiliser and grain supplies while deepening geopolitical divisions between Russia and Western countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the UN General Assembly earlier in the week, urged countries to maintain pressure on Moscow and restrict revenues that support Russia’s war effort.

“It is essential that our partners not forget: Russia is escalating every single day,” Zelensky said in a social media post Saturday, calling for stronger international responses to prevent the conflict from spreading.

The US Congress passed a major Russia sanctions bill last month. President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law last week but has yet to implement the measures.

US Pushes For Russia-Ukraine Talks

Zelensky said Friday that Washington was seeking technical, three-way talks involving delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia, rather than a meeting between the countries’ top leaders. Kyiv is awaiting a proposed date from Washington, he said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump had discussed the possibility of such a meeting during a phone call earlier this month, although no specific plans had been agreed.

Putin, speaking to reporters in St Petersburg on Friday, criticised recent Ukrainian attacks inside Russia and in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine. He said proposals to resume negotiations remained available, while adding that Moscow would consider its next steps carefully.

Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held three rounds of talks earlier this year, but the negotiations produced no significant breakthrough.