Germany, Russia Hold First Talks Since Ukraine Invasion

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held their first meeting since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, talking for about 20 minutes on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Wadephul urged Moscow to help restore Black Sea grain exports amid food shortages and to halt what he described as escalating threats toward Germany, Europe and NATO. He said alleged hybrid attacks, including an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport that Germany blames on Russia, would not weaken Berlin’s support for Ukraine but would further damage bilateral ties; Moscow rejected the accusation. The meeting took place amid reciprocal diplomatic measures and sharp public disagreements, and Lavrov later defended Russia’s war and criticized the West in his U.N. address.

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