Russian Foreign Minister rejects German calls to ease ‘dangerous’ escalation

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“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asked on Saturday in his speech to the United Nations general assembly. “Didn’t they not learn the lessons of World War II?”

Mr Lavrov was dismissive after the German and Russian foreign ministers met on Saturday on the sidelines of the meeting, holding what’s believed to be the first such meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

He said: “He simply reiterated his official public position condemning Russia.

“You can judge for yourself whether that counts as dialogue or not.”

The meeting, at German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s request, came just before Mr Lavrov addressed world leaders, where he also slammed the militarisation of Japan.

He made clear that Russia will veto any attempt by Germany and Japan for permanent seats on the UN security council. The two nations fought Russia, Britain and the United States in World War II.

A German delegation official said that during their meeting, Mr Wadephul called on Russia to abandon its “dangerous path of escalation” toward Germany, Europe and the Nato alliance.

Ties between Russia and Germany have soured in recent weeks, following an alleged attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport which Germany blamed on Russia.

Mr Wadephul expressed openness to a better relationship but said it required a genuine willingness from Russia’s leadership to end the war in Ukraine, according to the official.

Later, Mr Lavrov told a UN news conference that “nothing new came from that initiative of the [German] foreign minister.”

As for the claimed attempted drone strike at Leipzig airport, he called it “an unclaimed drone” that Germany immediately said was Russian.

During his press conference Mr Lavrov accused the West of aspiring “to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia” but he added “these aspirations will result in the warmongers being led into a strategic dead end.”

Mr Lavrov also claimed: “The US has destroyed the European security system and created a Russophobic regime in Kiev.”

Russia believes an agreement on ending the Ukraine war was reached at the August 2025 meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Lavrov said: “And we continue to remain ready to return to it.”

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