Russian foreign minister rejects Berlin’s call to abandon escalation

Russia’s foreign minister has rejected calls from his German counterpart to pull back on “dangerous” escalatory steps as he accused Berlin of being Ukraine’s “main sponsor.”

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Sergey Lavrov met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday, shortly before Lavrov delivered an address to world leaders.

During their talks, the German minister urged Moscow to abandon its “dangerous path of escalation” towards Europe while also suggesting Berlin was open to improving its relationship with Russia – provided the Kremlin showed it was genuinely willing to end its war in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported, citing a German delegation official.

Speaking at the General Assembly, Lavrov told the audience: “Chancellor Merz is stating that Germany must once again be a leading military power in Europe. Does Berlin understand what this could lead to? Did they not learn the lessons of World War II?”

In a press conference following his speech, the Russian diplomat was also asked about his meeting with Wadephul and Russian-German relations.

“Nothing new came from that initiative of the foreign minister,” he told reporters.

“He simply reiterated his official public position condemning Russia. You can judge for yourself whether that counts as dialogue or not?” he added later.

Tensions between Germany and Russia hit a flashpoint in early September after Berlin accused Russia of being behind a drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport earlier this year.

Wadephul announced at the time new measures against Russia “as the perpetrator of the hybrid attack in Leipzig,” with the Russian consulate in Bonn and Russia’s Berlin cultural centre to be closed as part of the government’s response.

He added that there would also be tighter border controls for Russian nationals moving forward and increased pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet.

The Russian embassy in Germany issued a statement denying the claims and threatening “consequences” over the sanctions.

The Russian ambassador, Sergey Nechayev, “categorically rejected the accusations made by Berlin as unsubstantiated, absurd, and contrary to common sense,” the statement read.

“He noted that the measures announced by the German side represent an unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations and will not remain without consequences, for which the German government will bear full responsibility,” it continued.

Lavrov on Saturday dismissed the incident as an “unclaimed drone” and said Germany had “immediately” claimed it was Russian.

Elsewhere in his speech, Lavrov said the US had “destroyed the European security system and created a Russophobic regime in Kyiv” while also accusing the West of aspiring “to inflict strategic defeat on Russia.”

“These aspirations will result in the war mongers being led into a strategic dead end,” the minister said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that it was clear the Kremlin was not preparing to bring the war to an end any time soon.

“Putin always finds some lame excuse – not to meet, not to hold a trilateral, not to talk, not to end it, not to stop the killing,” he said in a video address. “He is looking for excuses to keep waging the war”.