
The head of Russian diplomacy and the German representative spoke in New York in a context of increased bilateral tensions.
AI-generated summary
Relations between Berlin and Moscow have been damaged by the invasion of Ukraine and accusations of espionage or sabotage, leading to the closure of consulates.
The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, met his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, at the UN on Saturday for the first meeting of this kind since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This meeting took place in a climate of high tensions after the German accusation against Moscow, accused of having sent a drone loaded with explosives to Leipzig airport at the beginning of August. Germany and Russia have since closed their respective consulates within the two countries.
A closed meeting
The Russian minister, who is due to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York this morning, last met a German Foreign Minister in January 2022, when he spoke with Annalena Baerbock less than a month before the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
Saturday's meeting took place behind closed doors, but the Ukrainian question was undoubtedly on the agenda. The German side had demanded that media access to the meeting be restricted and that the speeches not be recorded, said the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Minister, Maria Zakharova, according to the Russian news agency TASS. She added that Saturday's meeting was initiated by Berlin.

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