German and Russian Foreign Ministers Meet in New York

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in New York in late September 2026, their first face-to-face talks in over four years. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and the two shook hands before sitting down. Wadephul called on Lavrov to de-escalate; after the talks, Lavrov criticized the German minister. A photo of the encounter showed a portrait of Vladimir Putin in the background.