German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sunday his decision to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was driven by security concerns and to address a growing food-export crisis.
Lavrov and Wadephul met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, marking the first such talks since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Wadephul said Russia’s alleged deployment of armed drones at Leipzig airport had crossed a line and made it necessary to communicate directly that Germany was prepared to defend itself.
“Russia has to understand that we are ready to resist and to defend ourselves,” Wadephul said in an interview with ARD.
The meeting also came amid diplomatic efforts to revive Russia and Ukraine’s Black Sea grain and energy exports that have been sharply curtailed by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure.
“A number of colleagues, especially from the Global South, asked me to speak with Russia,” Wadephul said, citing this as the second reason for the talks.
“There is a threat of famine there, and that is why I am advocating for a ceasefire in the Black Sea,” he added.
Relations between Moscow and Berlin, a close ally of Ukraine, have been frozen since the Russian invasion and Wadephul said this diplomatic silence had been necessary.