Russia Denies Holding Official Peace Talks With Germany in Azerbaijan
Russia's Foreign Ministry has denied that official Russian-German talks on ending the Ukraine war took place in Baku last month, while acknowledging unofficial contacts between private citizens of both countries.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told the state news agency TASS that no official contacts exist, or have existed, between Russia and Germany regarding a Ukraine settlement, adding that such contacts are unlikely given what he described as Germany's aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric and actions.
His remarks followed a statement by Azerbaijan's president in July, who said Russian and German officials held a "secret meeting" in Baku earlier that month. According to media reports, the German side included former Brandenburg minister-president Matthias Platzeck and former German chancellery chief of staff Ronald Pofalla, while the Russian side reportedly included former prime minister Viktor Zubkov and current presidential human rights commissioner Valery Fadeyev.
Galuzin did confirm that informal, backchannel discussions have taken place between individuals from both countries who hold no government affiliation, though he offered no further details on those contacts.
Separate Vienna Meeting Also Reported
Separately, reports emerged this month that former British, French and German diplomats secretly met with former Russian officials in Vienna, as part of an initiative organized by the Swiss-based Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. Galuzin made no mention of the Vienna meeting in his comments to TASS.
While several European leaders have raised the possibility of direct talks with Moscow, the Kremlin has rejected the idea of the European Union acting as a mediator in any Ukraine peace negotiations. The Moscow Times has previously reported, citing sources, that comparable secret diplomatic contacts took place in 2023 between senior former U.S. national security officials and high-ranking Kremlin figures.
