German, Russian foreign ministers hold rare talks amid rising tensions

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Russia to abandon its “dangerous path of escalation” with Germany, Europe and NATO during talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in New York.

The meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday — the first such talks since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — was requested by the German side, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. It was held before Lavrov’s address to world leaders.

In his speech on Saturday, Lavrov told the UNGA that Germany is not only Kyiv’s “main sponsor” but also seeks to be a leading military power in Europe.

“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to? Didn’t they … learn the lessons of World War II?” he asked.

Diplomatic relations between Berlin and Moscow have been frozen since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

They deteriorated further after a drone incident at Leipzig airport in eastern Germany last month, which Berlin blamed on Russia. Moscow has firmly denied involvement and accused Germany of fabricating evidence.

European countries have linked Russia to drone incursions near airports, military bases and critical infrastructure across the continent in the past year.

Credit: aljazeera.com

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