The foreign ministers of Russia and Germany met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, marking the first such talks since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock discussed bilateral ties and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Berlin, a close ally of Ukraine.
Relations between Russia and Germany have been strained since the invasion, with tensions escalating further after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August. Germany concluded that Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack and closed a Russian consulate and cultural center in Berlin in retaliation. Russia has denied the allegations, calling them "fabricated provocation" and "a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany".
During the talks, Baerbock urged Lavrov to do "everything possible to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea", a German delegation source said. The meeting comes amid diplomatic efforts to revive Russia and Ukraine's Black Sea grain and energy exports, which have been sharply curtailed by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure. Russia has been in talks with India, Egypt, and Turkey about proposals to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea.
Lavrov told a news conference that he had learned nothing new from Baerbock in the talks that Berlin had not already said publicly in its official statements. He said that Russia had been discussing proposals to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea with other countries, potentially involving bilateral deals. Ukraine has said it is open to agreements and blames all the fallout from the war on Russia and its invasion.
Baerbock told Lavrov that "time is of the essence" given the food shortages in many countries, particularly in the Global South. She urged all parties to be willing to engage constructively to find a solution. The German minister also told Lavrov that a pragmatic solution could pave the way for further concrete steps, according to a German delegation source.
In a sign of the sensitivities around meeting the wartime Russian foreign minister, Baerbock notified her European allies of the meeting afterwards. She reiterated Germany's position on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, particularly with a focus on grain exports and energy infrastructure.
The talks between Lavrov and Baerbock come as part of broader diplomatic efforts to address the conflict in Ukraine. The two ministers discussed the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, with Baerbock calling on Russia to abandon what she described as a "dangerous path of escalation" vis-à-vis Germany, Europe, and NATO.
Key points
- Germany and Russia are engaged in diplomatic efforts to revive Black Sea grain and energy exports.
- The meeting between Lavrov and Baerbock is the first since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- Tensions between Moscow and Berlin have been strained since the invasion, with Germany accusing Russia of being responsible for a drone incident.
