Representatives from the USA and Russia have been quietly meeting in Switzerland in recent months for informal discussions on the war in Ukraine, including just last week, according to three sources familiar with the matter, reports Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The sources described the talks as a backchannel, with some contacts taking place in the transition period after the victory of US President Donald Trump in the November 5 election.
While the participants have diplomatic and security experience, they are not government officials, and it was unclear whether they were dispatched by their governments, two sources said. The sources declined to name the participants.
At least a small number of Trump advisers are aware of the meetings, said one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
Many other details remain unclear, including the meeting agendas, whether Ukrainians were present, and when the meetings began.
But the previously unreported meetings, the publication writes, "highlight behind-the-scenes efforts by the US and Russia to explore ways to end the war in Ukraine, despite the near-freezing of official contacts during the tenure of Trump's predecessor, former President Joe Biden".
On Tuesday, US officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
One of the sources described the negotiations in Switzerland as "second track" discussions - diplomatic jargon for unofficial dialogue aimed at improving communication and exchanging ideas, rather than developing specific proposals.
The White House National Security Council, the Ukrainian government, and the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Two sources said at least one meeting took place in Geneva during the Munich Security Conference last week.
Last year, Reuters reported on separate second-track negotiations in 2023 and early 2024, when Putin sent signals that he was ready to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine. These talks appeared to have led nowhere, the publication writes.
In 2023, NBC reported that former US national security officials had held secret talks with Russians believed to be close to the Kremlin, and some eventually met with Lavrov.
One source suggested that the second-track negotiations have become less relevant as US and Russian officials have recently established official channels of dialogue.
