Russia's top diplomat rejects German calls to ease off its 'dangerous' escalation toward it

Russia's top diplomat rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” toward the country, instead accusing Germany of being Ukraine's main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.

“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?" Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asked in his speech at the UN General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders. “Didn't they not learn the lessons of World War II?”

Lavrov was dismissive after the German and Russian foreign ministers met on Saturday (September 26, 2026) on the sidelines of the meeting, holding what's believed to be the first such tête-à-tête since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“He simply reiterated his official public position condemning Russia,” Lavrov said. “You can judge for yourself whether that counts as dialogue or not.”