US and Russia secretly met in Switzerland to discuss war - Reuters
Representatives of Russia and the United States have been secretly meeting in Switzerland to informally discuss the war in Ukraine in recent months, including last week.
This was reported by Reuters with reference to three interlocutors, Censor.NET reports.
The sources described the talks as an additional channel with some contacts taking place during the transition period after President Donald Trump's victory in the November 5, 2024, election.
According to the publication, although the participants in these negotiations have diplomatic and security experience, they are not civil servants. Therefore, it was not immediately clear whether they were sent there by their governments.
The sources declined to name the negotiators, but at least a small number of Trump's advisers are aware of the meetings.
"Many other details remain unclear, including the agenda of the meetings, when they began, and whether Ukrainians were present. But these meetings highlight behind-the-scenes efforts by the United States and Russia to find ways to end the war in Ukraine, despite a near-total freeze on official contacts under Trump's predecessor, former President Joe Biden," the article says.
One of the interlocutors described these talks in Switzerland as "second track" discussions. That is, an informal dialog aimed at improving communication and exchanging ideas. There is no talk of developing specific proposals.
At least one of the meetings took place in Geneva last week. At the time, Germany was hosting the Munich Security Conference.
Reuters asked the White House National Security Council, the Ukrainian government, and the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment, but they did not respond to the requests.
Earlier, it was reported that Switzerland is ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine.
