German, Russian foreign ministers have rare meeting at UN

German and Russian foreign ministers met on Saturday at the United Nations, believed to be the first such bilateral meeting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tensions between the European Union and Russia had recently increased, occurring just before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed world leaders. German Foreign Minister Johannis Wadephul urged Russia to abandon its "dangerous path of escalation" toward Germany, Europe, and NATO during the encounter.

The roughly 20-minute meeting took place in a Russian-provided room and concluded with both ministers shaking hands. Later, Lavrov addressed the General Assembly, defending Russia's war in Ukraine and criticizing the West, including Germany, for their stance.