Lavrov Rejects German Call to Step Back, Invoking the Second World War in Rare Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, a rare direct encounter between the two governments. Wadephul urged Moscow to abandon what he described as a dangerous path of escalation with Europe. Lavrov rejected the characterisation and responded with his own question during his General Assembly address, asking, "Does Berlin understand what this could lead to? Didn't they learn the lessons of World War II?" according to The Hindu's account of his speech.

Each side attributes the escalation to the other. Berlin points to drone incursions over European airspace and to Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Moscow points to German weapons transfers to Kyiv, to European rearmament programmes and to discussion of using frozen Russian assets. Neither government disputes that channels between them had been largely closed until this meeting.

That the two foreign ministers met at all is the notable fact. Germany is Europe's largest economy and the continent's largest single funder of Ukraine's defence after the United States, and its industrial base remains the most exposed in Europe to the loss of cheap Russian energy. Russia's economy is running on war production with an inflation problem of its own. Both have reasons to keep a line open and neither is offering a concession to justify using it.