Merz: Meeting with Lavrov Shows Russia Doesn't Want Peace

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov showed that Russia does not want peace. The chancellor made the comment following their encounter in New York, where both were attending the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting between German and Russian foreign ministers Wadephul and Lavrov had taken place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. While the German side reported that the discussion yielded no progress, political reactions in Berlin were described as largely positive — given that the two countries had resumed direct diplomatic contact.