Russian, German foreign ministers hold first talks since Ukraine war began

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on Saturday – the first such meeting since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram that the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York was requested by German officials.

“And now, a representative of that ‘beautiful garden’ — German (Foreign) Minister Wadephul — has asked for a meeting with the Russian foreign minister,” Zakharova said, criticizing Germany’s requests for restricted media access, no questions, and a ban on audio recordings of opening remarks.

No further details of the meeting were provided.