Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, held a telephone call on Friday to discuss further measures to increase pressure on Russia and bolster Ukraine’s resilience ahead of the winter months, according to a statement from Sybiha shared on social media.
The call followed a meeting earlier the same day between Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first direct talks between Germany’s and Russia’s top diplomats since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Wadephul briefed Sybiha on the outcome of that meeting, and Sybiha thanked him for conveying a joint German-Ukrainian position to the Russian side, which included a demand that Moscow end the war, an affirmation of continued support for Ukraine, and a warning against further hostile actions targeting Europe.
According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the Lavrov-Wadephul meeting addressed bilateral relations and the broader situation surrounding Ukraine, with the German minister reiterating positions previously stated publicly by Berlin.
Sybiha and Wadephul also discussed next steps in advancing peace efforts toward a ceasefire, along with continued cooperation on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and economic resilience as winter approaches. The two ministers have held a series of consultations in recent months on related issues, including sanctions packages targeting Russia’s military-industrial base, unlocking frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine, and joint defense-industrial cooperation, including drone production.
The exchange took place during a week of intensive diplomatic activity in New York coinciding with the UN General Assembly’s high-level session, with senior officials from Ukraine, Russia and their respective allies holding a series of parallel and, in some cases, unprecedented bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering.
