Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RIA Novosti that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov was initiated by the German side because of the difficult situation in Germany.
The talks took place the day before on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at Berlin's initiative and lasted about 20 minutes. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the situation in Ukraine and bilateral relations were discussed. On these issues, Wadephul confirmed Germany's public position.
Lavrov, in turn, noted that he heard nothing new at the meeting with the German diplomat. According to him, he got the impression that Wadephul expected some concessions from Russia in the conflict around Ukraine.
Lavrov's previous meeting with the German foreign minister took place in January 2022 in Moscow, when Annalena Baerbock held that post.
In September, the Christian Democratic Union, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, lost elections to the parliaments of three federal states: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt.
According to The Economist, after a series of failures Merz found himself in a more precarious position than ever, while Bloomberg believes that his possible resignation would shake Germany's image as the anchor of continental stability.