--- title: "Russian and German Foreign Ministers Hold First Talks in Four Years on the Sidelines of the UN General Assembly" description: "Russian and German Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Johann Wadephul held their first talks in four years in New York, discussing Ukraine and the Black Sea initiative." date: 2026-09-27T09:27:44.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russian-and-german-fms-hold-first-talks-in-four-years tags: [russia-germany, lavrow-wadephul, un-general-assembly, diplomacy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Russian and German Foreign Ministers Hold First Talks in Four Years on the Sidelines of the UN General Assembly ![Russian and German Foreign Ministers meeting in New York](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/27/mid-rf-i-frg-proveli-pervye-peregovory-za-4-goda/mid-rf-i-frg-proveli-pervye-peregovory-za-4-goda-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The meeting between Lavrov and Wadephul took place on September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. - These are the first talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries since January 2022. - The initiative for the meeting came from the German side, and the talks lasted about 20 minutes. - The parties discussed Ukraine, Black Sea security, and grain exports, but reached no compromise. On September 26, 2026, in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, a historic meeting took place. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul. This event marked the first direct negotiations at the level of foreign ministers of the two states since January 2022, when Lavrov met with then-Minister Annalena Baerbock shortly before the outbreak of large-scale military conflict. ### Background and Initiative for Diplomatic Contact According to official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, this meeting took place at the direct initiative of the German side. Despite the ongoing deep crisis in bilateral relations and severe confrontation in the international arena, high-level diplomatic channels were activated to discuss the most acute humanitarian and regional problems. The talks themselves lasted about twenty minutes and were held behind closed doors. ### Substance of the Discussion and Positions of the Parties During the brief conversation, the sides discussed the current state of Russian-German relations and the situation in Ukraine. Following the meeting, Sergey Lavrov told the press that he heard no new points from his German colleague different from Berlin's public rhetoric. At the same time, a source within the German delegation reported that Johann Wadephul emphasized the need to resume the grain corridor through the Black Sea as soon as possible, protect critical energy infrastructure, and achieve a ceasefire. ### Contradictory Data Regarding the details of the twenty-minute talks, there are certain discrepancies in emphasis between the official reports of the parties. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasizes the traditional nature of the discussion on the Ukrainian crisis and the bilateral agenda without any breakthroughs. On the other hand, German diplomatic sources insist that Berlin took a tough stance, demanding concrete steps to ensure global South food security and a ceasefire, immediately informing European allies and Kyiv about it. ### Consequences and Expert Assessments Experts note that the very fact of holding such rare negotiations indicates the preservation of targeted diplomatic dialogue even amid the deepest geopolitical crisis. However, the lack of compromises at the Lavrov-Wadephul meeting confirms that the parties are still far from normalizing relations. The talks did not lead to a convergence of positions, but they allowed Berlin to directly convey its demands to Moscow. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Министры иностранных дел России и Германии провели первые за четыре года переговоры.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/ngoai-truong-nga-duc-lan-dau-hoi-dam-sau-4-nam) - Основной источник текста с базовыми деталями встречи. - [Главы МИД России и Германии провели встречу впервые с 2022 года](https://russian.news.cn/20260927/15e3856a934d43b4b990879305bd2395/c.html) - Подтверждение даты и факта первой встречи с 2022 года. - [Главы МИД Германии и России встретились впервые с 2022 года, но к взаимопониманию не пришли](https://www.currenttime.tv/a/lavrov-and-wadephul/33865154.html) - Подтверждение отсутствия взаимопонимания по итогам переговоров. - [Главы МИД России и Германии провели переговоры впервые с начала большой войны](https://rus.delfi.lv/57862/v-mire/120136053/glavy-mid-rossii-i-germanii-proveli-peregovory-vpervye-s-nachala-bolshoy-voyny) - Контекст переговоров в условиях военного конфликта. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When did the meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Germany take place? **A:** The meeting took place on September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. ### Q: Who initiated these negotiations? **A:** According to official data from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the initiative for the talks came from the German side. ### Q: What topics were discussed at the meeting? **A:** The ministers discussed bilateral relations, the situation in Ukraine, Black Sea security, and grain export issues.