Russia’s Lavrov Dismisses German Calls for De-escalation Amid Tensions
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov rejects Germany's de-escalation calls, accuses Berlin of backing Ukraine, and criticizes NATO at UN.
POLICY WIRE — New York, United States — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed German efforts to curb what he called Russia’s ‘dangerous path of escalation,’ accusing Germany of being a key backer of Ukraine and seeking regional military dominance.
Lavrov made the remarks during his speech at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2026. He questioned whether Germany understood the potential consequences of its actions, referencing lessons from World War II. The comments followed a rare meeting between Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, the first such encounter since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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The German delegation claimed that Wadephul urged Russia to abandon its aggressive posture toward Germany, Europe, and NATO. However, Lavrov criticized the discussion as unproductive, asserting that no new developments emerged from the talks. He also denied allegations of Russian attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and dismissed the alleged drone strike at Leipzig Airport as an unclaimed device.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)