Annalena Baerbock: the German minister staring down Russia over Ukraine

New foreign minister won critics' respect after meeting with Sergei Lavrov, but has work cut out in push for diplomacy

Just one month into taking up her office as Germany's new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock has her work cut out. At stake: nothing less than the attempt to stop the outbreak of war between Russia and the west.

The news outlet Der Spiegel called her meeting this week with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a baptism of fire"; Die Zeit, her first major test of character". For the tabloid Bild, it was the equivalent of entering the cave of a bear".