German Back-Channel Talks With Russia Continue Despite Official Distance
Former German politicians hold unofficial talks with Russian officials in Baku.
A group of former German politicians and influential public figures has reportedly been maintaining unofficial communication channels with Russian representatives as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, according to a report by The Times. The informal contacts are said to operate independently of the German government and are intended to keep dialogue open despite the absence of formal diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
The latest reported meeting took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, where former German political leaders met individuals linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. The German delegation reportedly included Ronald Pofalla, former chief of staff to ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, the former Minister-President of Brandenburg. The discussions were described as part of an unofficial back channel rather than a government-backed initiative.
Other reported participants from Germany included Ralf Stegner, a senior lawmaker from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, a former regional minister from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). On the Russian side, those reportedly attending included Valery Fadeyev, head of President Vladimir Putin's Council on Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of energy company Gazprom.
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According to the report, these meetings are linked to an informal Russia-Germany dialogue that continued after the official Petersburger Dialog forum ceased operations. The dialogue platform effectively ended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although some of its former members are said to have continued communicating through unofficial channels in an effort to maintain contacts during the conflict.
Commenting on the reported meetings, Russia expert John Lough of Chatham House and the New Eurasian Strategies Centre said Germany remains a key strategic focus for the Kremlin because of its economic strength and its potential role in strengthening European defence capabilities. He suggested that maintaining communication with influential German figures could hold long-term strategic significance for Moscow even as official relations remain strained.
The German government has publicly distanced itself from the reported back-channel discussions. Officials close to Chancellor Friedrich Merz have stated that the participants were not acting on behalf of the government and reiterated Berlin's position that there is currently no indication that Russia is prepared to engage in meaningful negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.
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