Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held talks on Saturday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking the first such meeting between the countries' top diplomats since before Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The roughly 20-to-30-minute discussion addressed bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, according to officials from both sides. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the German side had requested the meeting and that Wadephul reaffirmed Berlin's publicly stated positions on the issues.

Wadephul used the opportunity to urge Russia to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea and to pursue an immediate ceasefire, while reiterating Germany's firm support for Ukraine. He also warned Lavrov against further escalation, citing the August drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, which Berlin has attributed to Russian intelligence services.

Lavrov later told reporters that he learned nothing new during the conversation, noting that the German positions had already been outlined in official statements. Relations between the two nations have remained frozen since the invasion, with additional strains from the airport incident and subsequent diplomatic expulsions.

The meeting occurred amid the annual UN General Assembly session, where global leaders have gathered to address international conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine. Wadephul notified European allies of the encounter afterward.

This encounter represents a rare diplomatic contact at the ministerial level but produced no indications of a thaw in ties, as both sides maintained their longstanding stances on the conflict.