Secret German and Russian Officials Meet in Baku

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan revealed that former high-ranking officials from Germany and Russia held secret meetings in Baku from July 12 to 14, 2026. The talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine and restoring diplomatic ties with the Kremlin. Aliyev cited flight data as evidence that the gathering occurred on Azerbaijani territory without the government's knowledge.

The unofficial German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former Chief of Staff to Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, former Governor of Brandenburg. The Russian delegation consisted of Viktor Zubkov, Chairman of the Gazprom board, and Valery Fadeyev, head of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the German government denied any official authorization or involvement, characterizing the discussions as private initiatives. The revelation follows other secret diplomatic meetings reported to have taken place in Abu Dhabi between 2024 and 2025.