Lavrov meets German FM in first talks since Ukraine war began

First diplomatic encounter since 2022

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with German counterpart Johann Wadephul on Saturday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first meeting between the two nations' top diplomats since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022. The encounter took place after more than two and a half years of frozen high-level contact between Moscow and Berlin.

Berlin requested meeting

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the meeting occurred on Telegram, stating that German officials had formally requested the encounter. She noted that the delegation from Berlin imposed strict conditions on the media coverage of the event.

"Beautiful garden" jibe

Zakharova referenced previous European rhetoric in her commentary on the meeting. "And now, a representative of that 'beautiful garden' — German (Foreign) Minister Wadephul — has asked for a meeting with the Russian foreign minister," she said, mocking earlier EU descriptions of Europe as a garden amid a jungle.

The Russian spokeswoman criticized Germany's demands for restricted press access, including no questions permitted and a ban on audio recordings of opening remarks. No further details regarding the substance of the discussions were disclosed by either delegation following the encounter.