Germany Says Russia Is Not Ready for Talks to End Ukraine War After Lavrov-Wadephul Meeting

In brief: Germany’s foreign minister says Russia is not ready for constructive talks to end the war in Ukraine, following his first meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov since January 2022. Wadephul said Moscow showed no willingness to engage seriously in negotiations.

Russia is not ready to take a constructive negotiating position on ending its war against Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sept. 26, following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York.

Speaking to German public broadcaster ARD’s Tagesthemen after the meeting, Wadephul said Russia had shown no willingness to engage constructively in negotiations.

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“To all those who continue to say that Germany needs to negotiate, that Germany needs to talk to Russia, I say now: We are doing that,” Wadephul said. “And unfortunately, Russia is currently showing no willingness to take a constructive negotiating position.”

The comments came after Wadephul and Lavrov held their first meeting since January 2022 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The talks lasted about 20 minutes and were requested by the German side, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Wadephul said the meeting was facilitated by counterparts from other countries who had told Berlin that Moscow was ready for dialogue.

During the talks, Wadephul raised the issue of grain exports from Ukraine and Russia and discussed a drone found at Leipzig Airport. He also reiterated Germany’s “absolutely unwavering” support for Ukraine.

In separate comments after the meeting, Wadephul said he had sought to discuss de-escalation with Lavrov, particularly regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, but that his proposals had not yet “found open ears.”

Despite the tense exchange, Wadephul said maintaining contact with Moscow remained important.

“It is right to talk to Russia, and that is what diplomacy is about at the moment,” he said in the ARD interview.

Lavrov gave a different account of the meeting, saying Wadephul had made a “complaint” over the drone found in Leipzig.

“If you look at Berlin’s daily public statements, I did not hear anything new,” Lavrov said, adding that Germany could have “simply called” him.

Lavrov nevertheless said Moscow was always prepared to hear representatives of other countries.

The meeting came days after Lavrov held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lavrov later told the UN Security Council that Russia would not suspend hostilities during negotiations in any format, saying a pause would give Ukraine a “respite.”

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