Kyiv has commented on reports of a secret meeting between former high-ranking representatives of Germany and Russia, allegedly held in Baku. Georgiy Tikhyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, stated that such contacts have no impact on the actual peace process.

"As secret as it is insignificant"

In a conversation with journalists, the Ukrainian MFA representative firmly outlined Kyiv's position regarding rumors of "shadow" negotiations. According to Tikhyi, the meeting discussed in the media has no grounds for serious discussion.

"Some people, whose names are practically no longer in circulation, meet and talk about something. The Ukrainian side has not authorized any of them for anything. The significance of such meetings for the real peace process is close to zero," the spokesperson emphasized.

Tikhyi added that this meeting is "as secret as it is unimportant." Official Kyiv does not recognize the legitimacy of any initiatives that exclude the direct participation of authorized representatives of Ukraine.

Rumors of a meeting in Baku

The information trigger arose following a statement by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. The head of state reported that a closed meeting of former officials from Berlin and Moscow took place on the territory of the country this month. According to Aliyev, the participants discussed possible ways to end the war of Russia against Ukraine.

The President of Azerbaijan noted that the country's territory was used for this event without the knowledge of the authorities. At the same time, Aliyev clarified that he cannot comment on the content of the negotiations, as representatives of Baku were not present at them.

Who participated in the negotiations

According to Bloomberg, the unofficial German delegation included influential figures from the former German political establishment:

  • Ronald Pofalla — former head of the Chancellery of Chancellor Angela Merkel;
  • Matthias Platzeck — former Prime Minister of the federal state of Brandenburg.

The Russian side was represented at the meeting by:

  • Valery Fadeev — Head of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights;
  • Viktor Zubkov — Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, previously holding the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

Despite the prominent names of the participants, official Kyiv insists that such contacts remain within the framework of private initiatives and are unable to influence the course of events in the conflict zone.