Berlin and Moscow reopen a narrow diplomatic channel at UN as tensions persist

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 27, 2026

NEW YORK — Germany and Russia have held their first foreign-minister-level meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, bringing the two countries’ top diplomats together on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on September 26 for roughly 20 minutes. The talks covered bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, according to officials from both countries.

Wadephul and Lavrov Hold First Foreign Ministers’ Talks Since 2022

First ministerial meeting since the 2022 invasion

The meeting marked a rare direct encounter between Berlin and Moscow after relations deteriorated sharply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the German side requested the meeting. Moscow said the discussions included bilateral relations and the situation surrounding Ukraine, while Wadephul reiterated Germany’s publicly stated position.

The encounter took place shortly before Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly.

German and Russian Foreign Ministers Meet at UN in Rare Diplomatic Encounter

Germany calls for de-escalation

During the meeting, Wadephul urged Russia to abandon what Germany described as a “dangerous path of escalation” toward Germany, Europe and NATO.

A German delegation official said Wadephul also made clear that recent incidents and what Berlin describes as hybrid attacks would not weaken Germany’s support for Ukraine. Germany has accused Russia of involvement in an August drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, an allegation Moscow has rejected.

Wadephul also pressed for efforts to restore grain exports through the Black Sea and called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations over the Ukraine conflict, according to reporting from Reuters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, 2026.

Lavrov says little changed

Following the meeting, Lavrov gave a sharply different assessment of what had been achieved.

The Russian foreign minister said he had heard nothing new from Wadephul that Germany had not already made public, indicating that the brief encounter had not produced an obvious shift in Moscow’s position.

In his subsequent address to the General Assembly, Lavrov also criticized Germany’s policy toward Russia and its support for Ukraine.

Tensions remain high

The meeting comes after a series of disputes between Berlin and Moscow. Germany and Russia have taken reciprocal measures involving diplomatic and cultural institutions following the Leipzig/Halle airport incident.

Russia announced earlier this month that it would close several German Goethe-Institut cultural centres after Germany moved against a Russian cultural centre in Berlin. Moscow has denied German accusations concerning the airport incident.

Despite the disagreements, the New York meeting demonstrates that direct communication between the two governments remains possible, even as their positions on Ukraine and European security remain far apart.

What the meeting means

The talks should be viewed in the context of continuing diplomatic efforts surrounding the Ukraine war rather than as evidence of a breakthrough. No major agreement was announced following the meeting, and both governments continue to maintain substantially different positions on the conflict and European security.

The significance of the encounter lies primarily in the fact that the two foreign ministers resumed direct discussions after more than four years of war and diplomatic deterioration.