Aliyev reveals secret Russian-German meeting in Baku via flight data

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that senior figures from Russia and Germany held a secret meeting in Baku earlier this month. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated he was unaware of the meeting.

Scraper SystemJuly 21, 2026, 09:42 PM

Aliyev reveals secret Russian-German meeting in Baku via flight data

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev revealed a secret diplomatic channel between Russia and Germany during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Aliyev said that based on flight data, Russian and German officials met in Baku earlier this month.

"Our territory was used for such a meeting without our knowledge... Flight data allows me to state that a secret meeting took place in Baku," Aliyev said, without providing details on the content of the meeting.

German Chancellor Merz, for his part, stated at the same press conference that he was unaware of the meeting in question.

According to German newspaper Bild, Azerbaijani border records showed that former Brandenburg state premier Matthias Platzeck and former German chancellery general secretary Ronald Pofalla entered the country on July 12. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that former Russian prime minister and current Gazprom board chairman Viktor Zubkov and presidential human rights chief Valery Fadeyev arrived in Azerbaijan.

Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote that Aliyev confirmed the visit of these individuals. Last week, German and British media reported that at least four similar secret meetings had been held in Baku and Abu Dhabi since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

"If this meeting can help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, we would only welcome it," Aliyev said.

In June, German media wrote that Merz's office was quietly preparing the ground for talks with Russian officials after consulting with France and the UK. Last month, British, French and German ambassadors met with senior officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry. While European leaders have been raising the possibility of direct talks with Russia for weeks, the Kremlin rejected the idea that the European Union could be a potential mediator in Ukraine peace negotiations.

Aliyev reveals secret Russian-German meeting in Baku via flight data