Azerbaijan Reveals Secret Russian-German Talks on Ukraine During Berlin Visit
President Aliyev said Baku was not informed of the July meeting, while Chancellor Merz denied knowledge and both sides discussed expanding energy cooperation.
On 21 July, during an official visit to Berlin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that a secret meeting between former high-ranking German and Russian officials took place in Baku from 12 to 14 July. He cited flight data as evidence and said Azerbaijan had not been notified. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at the same press conference, said he had no knowledge of such a meeting and that the German government was not involved.
Aliyev expressed that if the meeting contributed to ending the war in Ukraine, he could only welcome it. According to German media reports, the participants included former Brandenburg premier Matthias Platzeck and ex-chancellery chief Ronald Pofalla on the German side, and former Russian prime minister Viktor Zubkov and presidential human rights council head Valery Fadeev on the Russian side. In Moscow, State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova interpreted the meeting as an effort to advance negotiations, while another deputy, Alexander Tolmachev, warned Azerbaijan against drifting from Russia toward Europe, citing Armenia’s difficulties after its own pivot.
The disclosure came as Aliyev and Merz signed a strategic partnership declaration and discussed deepening energy ties. Germany, which halted Russian gas imports in 2022, is seeking to diversify supplies. Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan could increase gas exports to Germany beyond the current 1.5 billion cubic metres per year, provided European banks finance infrastructure expansion. He also claimed that Russia can no longer fully supply its traditional partners due to damage to its refineries from Ukrainian drone strikes, a statement that underscores Baku’s positioning as an alternative energy source for Europe.
Viewed from European capitals, the secret meeting reflects a pattern of informal contacts between Western and Russian figures despite the official rupture. The Times reported that Berlin has been quietly exploring channels to Moscow, though the Kremlin has dismissed the EU as a potential mediator. Azerbaijan is navigating a complex balancing act: it maintains a strategic partnership with Russia, as evidenced by a recent Moscow visit by its foreign minister, while expanding energy and political ties with the EU. The next steps include further bilateral consultations between Germany and Azerbaijan on energy and investment, and the implementation of the newly signed partnership agenda.
| Russian & CIS press | −0.20 | neutral |
|---|---|---|
| Continental European press | 0.00 | neutral |
Russia cautiously welcomes signs of dialogue but warns Baku against drifting away from Moscow.
The Russian press projects itself as the responsible peacemaker by framing the secret meeting as a peace initiative, while simultaneously criticizing Azerbaijan’s European orientation to reinforce the narrative of Western unreliability.
The Russian press omits the specific names of the participants and the fact that the meeting was held without Azerbaijan’s knowledge, which would complicate the narrative of a transparent peace effort.
Europe acknowledges the secret meeting but distances itself, focusing instead on the energy deal with Baku.
The European press universalizes the event by treating the secret meeting as a routine diplomatic occurrence while emphasizing the official denial, thereby normalizing it and deflecting geopolitical tension.
European media omit the critical Russian reactions and the detailed identities of the participants, which would add a layer of geopolitical tension.
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