Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met on Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York during the fifth day of the debate. This marks the first such meeting between the two officials since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The ministers discussed bilateral ties and the war in Ukraine. The encounter took place as tensions between Berlin and Moscow have intensified in recent weeks.
During the meeting, Johann Wadephul called on Russia to abandon its dangerous path of escalation toward Germany, Europe, and the NATO alliance. Sergei Lavrov spent part of his address defending his country’s war on Ukraine.