European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on September 28 that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s treatment of his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, after their recent UN meeting demonstrates that Russia is not interested in peace in Ukraine.
The September 26 meeting between Lavrov and Wadephul took place on on the sidelines of the the UN General Assembly in New York and marked the first between a German and a Russian foreign minister since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Both in his address to the United Nations later that day and at a subsequent press conference, Lavrov mocked his meeting with Wadephul and rejected Germany’s calls to cease its attacks on Ukraine that in recent days have caused numerous civilian casualties.
“There are many countries outside Europe that say ‘talk to the Russians and then there will be a result (in Ukraine),'” said Kallas of Lavrov’s behavior. “But this talk (between Wadephul and Lavrov) shows that Russia really is not interested in peace at all, otherwise you don’t treat your meeting partner this way.”
Kallas said that during the meeting Wadephul had brought up the need to de-escalate the war in Ukraine as well as hybrid attacks in Europe. In early September, Berlin blamed Russia for drone incidents that shut down traffic at Leipzig airport in August.
Rejecting the calls to de-escalate, Lavrov on September 26 instead insisted that the fighting “will continue through to the end.” He accused Berlin of being Ukraine’s main backer and said it was trying to be a leading military power in Europe again.
“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?” he asked the UN General Assembly, adding, “Didn’t they not learn the lessons of World War II?”
He also said that Moscow would veto any attempts by Germany to try to get a permanent seat at a potentially expanded UN Security Council, the institution’s most powerful body.
