Russia and Germany hold first foreign minister talks since 2022 invasion

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a rare, 20-to-30-minute meeting on September 26, 2026, at the UN General Assembly, marking their first talks since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Wadephul demanded Russia halt its escalation and cooperate on Black Sea grain exports, while warning that a recent attempted drone attack in Leipzig would not deter German support for Kyiv. Lavrov subsequently addressed the UN, defending the war and blasting Western influence.

Meeting between German and Russian foreign ministers

• ▪The September 26, 2026 meeting marked the first talks between German and Russian foreign ministers since before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022
• ▪German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly
• ▪The September 26, 2026 meeting between Johann Wadephul and Sergey Lavrov lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes and was held in a room provided by the Russian delegation at the United Nations
• ▪German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that he agreed to the September 26, 2026 meeting with Sergey Lavrov after Lavrov signaled a willingness to talk through intermediaries, while Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed Germany requested the meeting

Wadephul's appeals to Russia

• ▪German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on Russia to abandon its dangerous path of escalation toward Germany, Europe, and NATO during the September 26, 2026 meeting with Sergey Lavrov at the UN General Assembly
• ▪German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Russia to reach an agreement on Black Sea grain exports to alleviate food shortages, particularly in the Global South

The Leipzig drone incident and diplomatic fallout

• ▪Germany accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating an August 2026 attempted drone attack targeting Leipzig/Halle Airport, which the Russian embassy in Berlin dismissed as a fabricated provocation
• ▪German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Sergey Lavrov on September 26, 2026, that hybrid assaults like the August 2026 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport would not shake Germany's determination to support Ukraine
• ▪Following the August 2026 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany ordered the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin, while Moscow retaliated with reciprocal diplomatic closures, including Germany's consulate in St. Petersburg

Lavrov's address to the United Nations

• ▪Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2026, defending Russia's war in Ukraine and criticizing Western geopolitical dominance
• ▪During his United Nations General Assembly speech, Sergey Lavrov opposed the United States-backed proposal to grant Germany and Japan permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council

Debatable claims

• ▪Germany's closure of Russian consulates is a proportionate response to hybrid threats
• ▪Germany should maintain direct high-level diplomatic contact with Russia