German foreign minister explains meeting with Lavrov

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul explained in an interview with ZDF why he decided to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He described the conversation as tense, adding that the two sides failed to reach agreement on substantive issues.

Wadephul said it was important for him to make clear that Germany does not accept incidents such as the drone attack in Leipzig, calling it an unacceptable escalation. He said he warned Russia not to continue such actions, stressing that Germany can defend itself and will do so. He added that he offered Lavrov de-escalation, including regarding the situation in Ukraine, but said this had not yet found a response.

Reason for the shift

Unlike the previous German government, the current administration decided to pursue direct talks with Russia. Wadephul explained that many colleagues had urged him to remain open to negotiations, arguing that direct communication would eventually need to resume. He also said he did not want Europeans to leave the full exchange of views with Russia to the Americans alone.

The minister clarified that he did not negotiate on Ukraine, since that is a matter for Ukrainians themselves. However, he said he told Russia clearly that Germany stands with Ukraine, that Ukraine has full support, and that economic pressure on Russia will continue. He repeated this to Lavrov and called on him to finally be ready for negotiations.

The meeting between the German and Russian foreign ministers in New York was the first direct talks at this level since 2022. Since then, representatives of both governments have taken part in various international events, but no direct ministerial-level negotiations had taken place. It was previously reported that on September 23, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lavrov in New York.