Rare Berlin-Moscow talks expose divide over Ukraine and Black Sea exports

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held rare talks in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. It was their first meeting since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and was requested by Germany, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Wadephul urged Russia to abandon what he described as a dangerous path of escalation with Germany, Europe and NATO. In a message to European allies after the meeting, he said he had called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, with attention to grain exports and energy infrastructure.

A German delegation source, cited by Reuters, said Wadephul also urged Lavrov to do everything possible to reach an agreement on Black Sea grain exports. The talks covered bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, but no agreement was reported.

Lavrov said after the meeting that he had heard nothing new from Wadephul. In his UN address, he criticised Germany’s support for Kyiv and said Berlin sought to become a leading military power in Europe.

The talks came amid efforts to revive Black Sea grain and energy exports, which have been restricted by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure. Lavrov said Russia had discussed safe-navigation proposals with India, Egypt and Türkiye, and called for separate discussions with Ukraine.