The Baku connection: did former German officials held secret talks with Putin allies?

Former high-ranking German officials engaged in secret discussions with close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Azerbaijan’s capital this month, according to confirmation from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The revelations, which surfaced during Aliyev’s official visit to Berlin on 22 July, have thrust the so-called “Baku Connection” into the spotlight and highlighted the complex web of unofficial channels attempting to influence the trajectory of Russia’s war in Ukraine. While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz professed ignorance of the specific meeting, the episode underscores growing tensions within Europe over how, or whether, to engage Moscow as the conflict grinds on.

Azerbaijani authorities take distance saying they only learned of the gathering after media reports prompted an investigation. Speaking alongside Merz at a joint press conference on Tuesday, Aliyev stated clearly that neither Germany nor Russia had informed Baku in advance. “We received no information about this from either Germany or Russia,” he said. “In other words, our territory was simply used without our knowledge.” Flight records, however, left little doubt: the meetings had taken place.

The “secret gatherings” in Baku

According to details pieced together by German media outlets Die Zeit and ARD’s “Kontraste” program, former Brandenburg Minister-President Matthias Platzeck of the SPD and Ronald Pofalla, previously chief of staff to Chancellor Angela Merkel and a co-chair of the now-suspended St. Petersburg Dialogue, traveled from Berlin to Baku on 12 July. They were reportedly joined by prominent Russian figures: Viktor Zubkov, former Russian Prime Minister, current Gazprom supervisory board chairman, and a longtime Putin confidant, along with Valery Fadeyev, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights. Fadeyev has faced EU sanctions for his role in war-related propaganda.

The delegations reportedly convened at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baku, where the Russian side was staying. Journalists from the investigating German outlets were also present in the city during the mid-July period. This gathering marks the latest in a series of informal meetings, reportedly the fifth since April 2024, held under the informal banner of the St. Petersburg Dialogue, a format originally launched by Gerhard Schröder and Putin that Germany officially ended in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One prior meeting took place in Abu Dhabi.

German security agencies view these gatherings as part of a Russian influence operation aimed at shaping German policy. The Russian side has reportedly emphasised that the war in Ukraine can only end on Moscow’s terms while probing possibilities for normalising bilateral relations once the conflict concludes. Neither Pofalla nor Platzeck has publicly commented in detail, and the German Foreign Ministry offered no immediate response to inquiries. Chancellor Merz, when asked, stated he had no knowledge of the Baku meeting but reiterated Germany’s efforts to push Putin toward negotiations, efforts he said have so far been rebuffed.

Aliyev struck a pragmatic tone. While distancing his government from any involvement or prior awareness, he welcomed the potential if the talks advanced peace. “If this meeting contributes to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, we can only welcome it,” he noted. The Azerbaijani leader ordered his State Border Service to review the visits after reading media accounts, confirming the presence of the named individuals through flight data. Pofalla and Platzeck returned to Berlin on 14 July, while the Russian participants departed shortly before or after.

Broader geopolitical implications and regional dynamics

The Baku revelations occur against a backdrop of shifting alliances and economic realignments. Azerbaijan has carefully balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine since 2022, offering humanitarian aid to Kyiv while avoiding Western sanctions on Moscow. Its ties with Russia faced severe strain after Russian air defences mistakenly downed an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in December 2024, killing 38 people. Yet by mid-July 2025, foreign ministers from both countries declared relations “fully normalised,” with direct flights resuming and trade reaching nearly $5 billion.

Berlin’s engagement with Baku reflects strong economic interests. Azerbaijan has begun supplying natural gas to Germany as Europe diversifies away from Russian energy. During the joint press conference, Merz described the South Caucasus as a vital connectivity hub for Europe and Asia via the Middle Corridor trade route, which bypasses Russia. The leaders also signed documents launching a strategic dialogue and an Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council, signaling deepening partnership.

Regional reconciliation efforts featured prominently as well. Merz congratulated Aliyev on progress toward a peace agreement with Armenia following decades of conflict. The initialed deal, facilitated in part by U.S. and German mediation, still requires constitutional changes in Armenia. Aliyev highlighted increased transit and energy support to Armenia as signs of thawing relations. Meanwhile, France has tilted toward Yerevan with military sales, illustrating divergent approaches within Europe.

The episode also mirrors wider EU divisions over Russia policy. European Council President Antonio Costa’s recent outreach to the Kremlin drew criticism from several leaders, including Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron, who stressed the need for coordinated, Ukraine-focused diplomacy. Nordic and Baltic states expressed particular unease, arguing that premature channels risk weakening pressure on Moscow. Yet others, including Spain and Ireland, supported opening communication lines to better understand and convey positions.

These informal German-Russian contacts, long associated with figures like Platzeck who have advocated rapprochement, raise questions about the boundaries between official policy and private initiative. While Berlin maintains that ending the war depends on Putin’s willingness to negotiate seriously, the persistence of such back channels suggests underlying currents seeking dialogue even as public stances remain firm.

Sources: ARD, FocusEurope.it, Reuters, Euronews

Caption: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) welcomes Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (C) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 21 July 2026. EPA/FADI YOUSEF