German foreign minister

Germany's foreign minister met with her Russian counterpart in a rare face-to-face encounter, urging Moscow to abandon what she called a dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine. The meeting stands out given the near-total breakdown of direct diplomatic contact between Berlin and Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion, and it signals continued European efforts to keep channels open even as fighting intensifies.

The German and Russian foreign ministers have held a rare face-to-face meeting at a time of sharply heightened tensions between Berlin and Moscow. Direct high-level contacts between the two governments have been scarce since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, so the talks are being watched closely for any sign of a shift in diplomatic engagement, even though no breakthrough has been reported.

The foreign ministers of Germany and Russia have held a rare face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Direct diplomatic contact between the two governments has been extremely limited since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, making any high-level talks notable as the war continues and debate over Ukraine's future intensifies at the UN.