Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says former senior officials from Germany and Russia met in Baku earlier in July to discuss possible ways to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Multiple outlets report that Aliyev revealed the meeting date as July 12–14, while also stating that Azerbaijan’s authorities were not notified and had no knowledge of the event. The accounts identify the German participants as Ronald Pofalla, a former chief of staff to Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, a former Minister-President of Brandenburg. The Russian side is described as including Valery Fadeyev, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, former Russian prime minister and chairman of the board of directors of Gazprom.
Separately, Kyiv Post reports that Aliyev discussed the matter in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz is said to deny any involvement by the German government, and the reports note broader concerns about unofficial diplomacy occurring without Ukraine’s participation. The outlets do not provide further details on outcomes of the talks beyond the stated focus on Ukraine and possible pathways to end the conflict.
