German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met with Sergey Lavrov to ensure Europe does not delegate all diplomacy with Russia to the United States. During the encounter in New York, Wadephul urged Moscow to enter negotiations to end the war, although the Russian delegation gave no positive response to the request. Wadephul also raised the issue of attempted drone sabotage at Leipzig/Halle Airport but avoided discussing Ukraine's future, stating such decisions belong to the Ukrainians.

The meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly lasted about 20 minutes and marked the first ministerial contact between the two nations since Jan 18, 2022. Lavrov described the exchange as fruitless, claiming Wadephul merely recited official public positions. During the session, Lavrov left copies of a Russian report titled "Heirs of Goebbels" that disputes the Bucha massacre on the table, which Wadephul allegedly covered with a notebook.