German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on the 29th of September that, following a meeting between German and Russian foreign ministers, Moscow had demonstrated it was not ready for serious talks, Politico reports.
Johann Wadephul met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the 26th of September – the first such meeting between representatives of the two countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following the meeting, Lavrov described Wadephul’s position as offering “nothing new.”
Merz responded to the Russian Foreign Minister’s remarks at a press conference in Berlin. He noted that Russia’s assessment of the meeting indicated a complete lack of interest in serious negotiations at this time. Consequently, Germany would do everything possible to continue assisting Ukraine—not only militarily but also politically, financially, and economically.
The German politician’s comments were a response to Lavrov’s clearly dismissive assessment of the meeting. Afterward, Lavrov stated that Wadephul had pulled out notes and read a text repeating the same message Germany conveys daily through its leaders.
The Russian official reportedly pointed out to Wadephul that there was nothing new in the matter,
stating that he had expected something novel and interesting, but it was something that could have been conveyed via a phone call or simply by an invitation to read official statements.
Prior to the meeting with Lavrov, Wadephul had described the invitation by US President Donald Trump to Russian dictator Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December as an opportunity, thereby raising the question of whether Berlin was shifting its diplomatic stance toward Moscow.
Wadephul stated that he had sought the meeting with Lavrov to convey that Germany is prepared to defend itself. In August, explosive-laden drones linked to Moscow’s sabotage plans were discovered at Leipzig Airport. The German politician also wished to discuss growing concerns regarding a global food crisis that could be triggered by shipping restrictions in the Black Sea region.
On the 29th of September, Merz reiterated the German government’s demands to the Kremlin: Russia must withdraw from Ukrainian territory, Europeans must be given a seat at the negotiating table regarding the end of the war and peace, and Ukraine must be given the opportunity to join the European Union. He said that he could only reiterate: Russia will not win this war, and if it continues, Moscow will have to pay a high price for it.
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