Azerbaijan's president confirms secret German-Russian talks in Baku, says territory used without consent

The revelation

On 21 July, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed that a secret meeting between German and Russian representatives took place in Baku. The meeting, first reported by German weekly Die Zeit and broadcaster ARD on 18 July, occurred between 12 and 14 July. Aliyev stated that his government had not been informed by either side, and that analysis of flight records confirmed the presence of the individuals named in the media reports.

“Our territory was used for this meeting without our knowledge. I cannot comment on the details because we were not present at the meeting. However, flight data allows me to state that the secret meeting did indeed take place in Baku.”

The participants

Flight records indicated that the German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former chief of staff to Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, former premier of Brandenburg and a Social Democratic Party politician. The Russian side was represented by Walerij Fadiejew, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Wiktor Zubkow, a former Russian prime minister who now chairs the supervisory board of state energy giant Gazprom. Die Zeit and ARD reported that these individuals have maintained informal contacts since 2024. The German government has said the meetings are neither organized nor authorized by federal authorities. Notably, some Russian participants are on the European Union's list of undesirable persons, which would make any official engagement problematic.

Azerbaijan's position

Aliyev emphasized that Baku was not a party to the talks and had no knowledge of their content. He speculated that the discussions may have concerned the war in Ukraine, and offered conditional support for any peace efforts.

“If the goal was indeed to seek ways to end the war, we can only support any initiatives leading to the end of the conflict.”

The president's remarks came during an official visit to Germany, where he met with Merz. The revelation added an unexpected layer to the bilateral agenda, shifting focus from economic cooperation to the unsanctioned use of Azerbaijani soil.

German government response

Chancellor Merz reiterated that his government had no involvement in the meeting. The chancellery had previously stated, following the Die Zeit report on 18 July, that the gathering was not a government initiative and that the former politicians acted without a mandate from Berlin. Merz's public denial on 21 July reinforced that position. The German weekly noted that the meeting's existence, if confirmed, could raise questions about compliance with EU sanctions policy, given the presence of sanctioned Russian individuals.

Backchannel diplomacy

The Baku meeting is the latest in a series of informal contacts between German and Russian figures reported since 2024. While the substance of the talks remains unknown, the use of Azerbaijani territory without Baku's consent has drawn attention. Aliyev's public confirmation, based on flight data, lends credibility to the media investigation and puts pressure on both Berlin and Moscow to clarify the nature of the exchanges. The incident highlights the persistence of unofficial dialogue channels even as official relations between Europe and Russia remain frozen over the war in Ukraine.