Germany and Russia's foreign ministers hold first talks since 2022 in New York

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on 26 September 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes and was the first of its kind since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Relations between Moscow and Berlin have been frozen since the invasion.politico.eu+1

The talks matter because Berlin and Moscow have had no direct ministerial contact at this level since 2022, and the meeting came after months of escalating accusations. Germany accused Russian intelligence services earlier in September of orchestrating a drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport, and both countries closed each other's consulates in response. The meeting produced no agreement on key points.japantimes.co.jp

A 30-minute meeting with no agreement

Wadephul told German public television ZDF after the meeting that it was an intense conversation and that no agreement was reached on key points. He said he made clear that Germany does not accept incidents such as the drone attack in Leipzig, calling it an escalation that is unacceptable. He said he warned Russia not to continue down this path.

A German official said after the meeting that Wadephul called on the Russian Federation to abandon its dangerous path of escalation toward Germany, Europe and NATO. The same official said Wadephul condemned Russia's ongoing and increasingly targeted aggression against the Ukrainian civilian population, and highlighted that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers die every month in a war of attrition while the Russian economy continues to collapse.

The two sides gave different accounts of who requested the meeting. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wadephul had asked to meet Lavrov. Wadephul told ZDF he agreed to meet Lavrov after the Russian foreign minister, through third-party intermediaries, signalled a willingness to engage in talks. The Russian side did not immediately provide a detailed readout of the meeting.

Who asked for the meeting

Lavrov told a news conference after his United Nations address that he had learned nothing new from his German counterpart that Berlin had not already said publicly in its official statements. He said he told Wadephul frankly that he could have just called and asked him to read his statement. Lavrov also told the General Assembly that Germany seeks to be a leading military power in Europe.

The Leipzig drone attack dominated the exchange. Germany imposed sanctions including the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn, and Moscow responded by closing Germany's consulate in St Petersburg. Moscow has denied involvement in the drone incident and accused Germany of fabricating evidence. European countries have linked Russia to drone incursions near airports, military bases and critical infrastructure across the continent in the past year.

Leipzig drone attack dominates the talks

Wadephul urged Lavrov to do everything possible to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea, a German delegation source said. Lavrov told the news conference that Russia had been in talks with India, Egypt and Turkiye about proposals to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, and said separate discussions with the Ukrainians were needed. Kyiv has said it is open to agreements.

Wadephul notified his European allies of the meeting afterwards in a message, writing that he reiterated Germany's position on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, most pressingly focused on grain exports and energy infrastructure. The meeting came as the United States invited Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December, which Wadephul welcomed as a litmus test for Putin.