Russia Denies It Held Official Peace Talks With Germany in Azerbaijan

Russia's Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected claims that diplomatic talks between Russia and Germany took place in Azerbaijan last month to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, speaking through the state-run news agency TASS, firmly stated that no official contacts with Germany regarding a potential settlement in Ukraine exist, and such discussions are improbable due to Germany's aggressive stance against Russia.

This denial comes after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev alleged a "secret meeting" involving Russian and German officials in Baku earlier in July. Media reports suggested that former Brandenburg Minister-President Matthias Platzeck and former German Chancellery Chief of Staff Ronald Pofalla were among the German participants, while former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and current Presidential Human Rights Chief Valery Fadeyev were reportedly present on the Russian side.

Galuzin acknowledged that informal discussions have occurred between individuals from both nations who are not part of their respective governments but did not disclose further details. In a separate development, reports have surfaced of secret meetings between former diplomats from Britain, France, and Germany with former Russian officials in Vienna this month, as part of an initiative led by the Swiss-based Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.

However, Galuzin did not mention this Vienna meeting in his TASS interview. Despite European leaders considering direct talks with Russia, the Kremlin has firmly dismissed the notion of the EU as a potential mediator in Ukraine peace negotiations.