German foreign minister says Lavrov meeting driven by Russia security concerns

"Russia ⁠has to understand that we are ready to resist and to defend ourselves," Wadephul said in an interview with ARD.The meeting also came amid diplomatic efforts to revive Russia and Ukraine's Black Sea grain and energy exports that have been sharply curtailed by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure.

"A number of colleagues, especially from the Global South, asked me to speak with Russia," Wadephul said, citing this as the second reason for the talks. "There is a threat of famine there, and that is why I ⁠am advocating for a ceasefire in the Black Sea," he added.

Relations between Moscow and Berlin, a close ally of Ukraine, have been frozen since the Russian invasion and Wadephul said this diplomatic silence had been necessary. "But now the time had come when I believed we ⁠needed to talk," Wadephul said.

In a sign of the continued frostiness, Lavrov he had learned nothing new from his German counterpart that Berlin had not already ⁠said publicly. "I... you could just have called me and said: 'read my statement'," Lavrov said.

Wadephul responded by saying that was how someone reacts when ⁠they have no arguments and are in a rather weak position. "Russia cannot explain to the world why it is continuing this war," Wadephul said, adding: "It is senseless, it costs thousands of lives.

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