Azerbaijan president says German-Russian talks were held in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Tuesday that flight records suggested former and current German and Russian officials had held a clandestine meeting in Baku this month, in what was Azerbaijan's first confirmation of the visits.



Former senior German officials Ronald Pofalla and Matthias Platzeck have been holding secret meetings with high-ranking allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, including Gazprom board chair and former prime minister Viktor Zubkov and EU-sanctioned figures, in Baku since 2024, according to a joint

investigation by Die Zeit and ARD broadcaster.



German security agencies say these gatherings are a Russian influence operation designed to shape German policy, according to the media outlets, with the Russian side reportedly seeking to convey that the Ukraine war can only end on Moscow's terms while exploring how to normalise bilateral ties after the

conflict ends.