At UN, Russia and Germany’s top diplomats hold first talks since invasion of Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johannis Wadephul met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, marking the first such discussions since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Tensions between Moscow and Berlin have been frozen since the invasion, with the situation deteriorating after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.

Russian officials claimed they learned nothing new from their German counterpart during the talks, stating that the German delegation had already publicly shared its statements. Despite this, the ministers discussed bilateral relations and the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Wadephul urging Lavrov to find a solution to the grain export crisis through the Black Sea.

Russia has been in talks with India, Egypt, and Turkey about proposals to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, potentially through bilateral deals. Wadephul emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that all parties must engage constructively to address food shortages in many countries, particularly in the Global South.

The German government concluded that Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport and retaliated by closing a consulate and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. The Russian embassy in Berlin dismissed the allegations as a "fabricated provocation" and an "anti-Russian hysteria in Germany." Wadephul called on Russia to abandon the path of escalation and warned that incidents like the attempted attack would not shake Germany's resolve to support Ukraine.