Germany, Russia hold first ministerial meeting since Ukraine invasion

Germany and Russia held a rare ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday, in what is believed to be the first such face-to-face since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting came at a time of rising tensions between the European Union and Russia, and shortly before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed world leaders.

At the meeting, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Russia to step back from what he called its "dangerous path of escalation" towards Germany, Europe and the NATO alliance, according to a German delegation official. The official said Wadephul was open to a better relationship, but added that this would require a genuine willingness from Russia's leadership to end the war in Ukraine.

Ties between Berlin and Moscow have worsened in recent weeks after an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport, which Germany has blamed on Russia, and the tit-for-tat steps that followed. German news agency dpa reported that the roughly 20-minute meeting was held in a room provided by the Russian side and ended with both ministers shaking hands.

Lavrov later used his General Assembly speech to defend Russia's war in Ukraine and attack the West, including Germany. He also criticised the idea of Germany or Japan getting a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The United States has long backed permanent seats for those countries and India.

Criticising NATO and the US, though not naming President Donald Trump, Lavrov said the West "continues to try to maintain its privileges and to impose its own rules on everyone else" even as global power balances are shifting. "A fairer, multipolar world order is emerging before our very eyes," he said, referring to platforms such as BRICS, which Moscow presents as more constructive and forward-looking. Writing on her personal Telegram channel, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that "tens of diplomats" had come to meet Lavrov to "shake his hand and thank Russia".

The speech came as fighting continued to intensify. With front-line positions largely unchanged since last year, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine using cruise and ballistic missiles, powerful glide bombs and jet-powered drones, while Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries and businesses with long-range drones. Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed four people on Saturday, while Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone attack killed three.

Since the war began, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation" aimed at ensuring Russia's security and the rights of Russian speakers, Western analysts have estimated that more than 500,000 Russian troops have been killed and that Ukraine has recorded more than 500,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths. Neither country releases its own casualty figures.

The war has had wider global effects on fuel, fertiliser and grain shipments, and has deepened divisions between Russia and the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who used his Assembly speech on Wednesday to urge other countries to keep cutting Russia's revenues and restricting its war effort, repeated that message on social media on Saturday. "It is essential that our partners not forget: Russia is escalating every single day," he wrote, adding that "the world must choose stronger responses to keep the war from spreading further."

US lawmakers passed a tough sanctions bill targeting Moscow last month. President Donald Trump signed it into law last week, but has not yet put the measures into effect. Back in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in voice mail messages to reporters on Friday that Washington was pushing for three-way technical talks involving delegations, but not top leaders, from the US, Ukraine and Russia, and that Kyiv was waiting for the US to suggest a date.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump had discussed such a meeting during a call earlier this month, but that there were no specific plans yet. Speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg on Friday night, Putin criticised recent Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and in Russian-held parts of Ukraine. He said "proposals to resume the talks are all on the table", but added that Moscow "will think carefully about what we need to do". Representatives of the three countries held three rounds of such talks earlier this year, but there were no major breakthroughs.

The developments at the UN reflected the wider state of the war: a limited diplomatic opening between Germany and Russia, sharp exchanges from Moscow at the world body, continued fighting on the ground, and fresh discussion around sanctions and possible talks involving the US, Ukraine and Russia.