Azerbaijan Confirms Secret Russia-Germany Talks on Ukraine War End

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has confirmed that an unofficial meeting involving former high-ranking German and Russian officials took place in Baku from July 12 to 14, 2026. The discussions reportedly focused on potential pathways to end the war in Ukraine. Aliyev stated that the meeting occurred without the official knowledge or participation of current government authorities in either Germany or Azerbaijan.

Aliyev presented flight data as evidence that the secret meeting did indeed take place. He noted that while Azerbaijan did not participate in the talks, it welcomes such contacts if their aim is to contribute to ending the conflict. "If the goal of that meeting was to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, we can only welcome it," Aliyev said during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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If the goal of that meeting was to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, we can only welcome it.

Chancellor Merz, however, firmly stated that his government was not involved in the meeting and had no prior knowledge of its occurrence. Reports suggest that attendees included Matthias Platzeck, former minister-president of the German state of Brandenburg, and Ronald Pofalla, former head of the German Chancellery. From the Russian side, former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and Valeriy Fadeyev, chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, were reportedly present. The revelation raises questions about unofficial diplomatic channels and their potential role in conflict resolution.

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I cannot comment on the details because we did not participate in the meeting. However, flight data allows me to say that the secret meeting in Baku did indeed take place.