Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have held their first direct talks in roughly four and a half years, discussing the war in Ukraine, bilateral relations and efforts to restore Black Sea grain exports.
The meeting took place in New York on Saturday, Sept. 26, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. It was requested by the German side and lasted 22 minutes, according to Vesti Baku.
The talks marked the first meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers since before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Relations between Moscow and Berlin, one of Kyiv’s leading European supporters, have remained largely frozen since then.
Wadephul urged Russia to work toward an immediate and complete cease-fire, with particular attention to grain exports and energy infrastructure. He said restoring safe shipments through the Black Sea was especially important because of food shortages in countries across the Global South.
The German minister also warned that suspected hybrid attacks would not weaken Berlin’s support for Ukraine. Germany has accused Russia of involvement in an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, an allegation Moscow has dismissed.
Lavrov said he heard nothing new from his German counterpart about a settlement in Ukraine. He also said Russia was discussing proposals for safe navigation in the Black Sea with India, Egypt and Turkey, including possible bilateral arrangements with those countries.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of attacking ships and port infrastructure. Kyiv says it is open to agreements that would protect maritime traffic, while Moscow has called for separate negotiations over navigation conditions.
The meeting produced no announced agreement, but it restored direct contact at foreign-minister level between Moscow and Berlin for the first time since the start of the full-scale war. Details of the exchange were also reported by Reuters.