Russian strikes on Ukraine killed at least two people overnight into Sunday, according to officials, as tensions between Russia and the West continued to rise. This occurred hours after Russia rejected German calls to de-escalate its military actions toward NATO. German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, marking what is believed to be the first one-on-one meeting since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions between the European Union and Russia, just before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed world leaders. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reportedly urged Russia to abandon its "dangerous path of escalation" toward Germany, Europe, and the NATO alliance. Relations between Russia and Germany have worsened in recent weeks following an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport, which Germany blamed on Russia, and subsequent retaliatory actions. While Wadephul expressed openness to improving relations, he emphasized that it would require a genuine commitment from Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The German news agency dpa reported that the 20-minute meeting took place in a room provided by Russia and ended with both ministers shaking hands. In his speech, Lavrov criticized the West, defending Russia’s war in Ukraine and opposing the idea of Germany or Japan gaining a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. He also criticized NATO and the U.S., though he did not specifically mention President Donald Trump. Lavrov argued that the West "continues to try to maintain its privileges and to impose its own rules on everyone else" as the global balance of power shifts. He described an emerging "fairer, multipolar world order," aligning with the goals of the BRICS group, which includes Russia, and other organizations he portrays as more progressive. The conflict has had significant global repercussions, affecting fuel, fertilizer, and grain shipments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged other countries to continue restricting Russia’s financial resources and impeding its war efforts during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly. He reiterated this message on social media, warning that Russia is escalating its actions daily and that the world must respond strongly to prevent the war from spreading. U.S. lawmakers recently passed a powerful sanctions bill against Russia, which President Trump signed into law but has not yet implemented. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is awaiting a proposal from the U.S. for three-way technical talks involving delegations from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, though not top leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that discussions about such a meeting are ongoing, but no specific plans have been set.