Talks described as 'Track Two' conversations

21/2/2025 6:22

U.S. and Russian

participants have quietly met in Switzerland for unofficial

discussions about the Ukraine war in recent months, including as

recently as last week, three sources with knowledge of the

matter said.



The sources described the talks as a side channel with some

contacts occurring during the transition period following

President Donald Trump's Nov. 5 election victory.



While the attendees have diplomatic and security experience,

they are not government officials, and it was not immediately

clear if any were sent by their governments, two of the sources

said. The sources declined to identify the attendees.



At least a small number of advisers to Trump are aware of

the encounters, said one of the sources, who had direct

knowledge of the matter.



Many other details remain unclear, including the meetings'

agendas, whether Ukrainians were present and when the encounters

began.



But the previously undisclosed meetings highlight

behind-the-scenes U.S. and Russian efforts to explore ways of

ending the Ukraine war despite a near-freeze on official contact

under Trump's predecessor, former President Joe Biden.



Trump, in office for just a month, has sharply changed the

U.S. approach toward the three-year-old Ukraine conflict,

engaging directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and

pushing for a quick deal to end the war.



On Tuesday, top U.S. officials met with Russian officials in

Saudi Arabia, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.



One of the sources described the Switzerland talks as Track

Two discussions - diplomatic parlance for unofficial dialogue

geared toward improving communication and floating ideas, rather

than developing concrete proposals.



The White House National Security Council, the Ukrainian

government and the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to

requests for comment.



Two of the sources said at least one encounter took place in

Geneva during last week's Munich Security Conference, a

gathering of international political leaders and security chiefs

in the German city.



Reuters reported last year on separate Track Two talks in

2023 and early 2024, when Putin sent signals that he was willing

to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine. Those talks appeared to come

to nothing.



Historically, Track Two talks have helped build dialogue

among deeply distrustful counterparties in the hope that better

communication might lead to diplomatic breakthroughs.



In 2023, NBC reported that former U.S. national security

officials held secret talks with Russians believed to be close

to the Kremlin, with some members eventually meeting with

Lavrov, the foreign minister.



One of the sources suggested Track Two talks may have lost

much of their relevance as U.S. and Russian officials have

established official channels of dialogue in recent weeks.