Representatives of the United States and Russia have secretly met in Switzerland in recent months, according to a Reuters report, for informal discussions on the conflict in Ukraine. This was confirmed by three anonymous sources to the news agency. Some of the meetings allegedly took place after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election in November 2024, with one of the latest meetings coinciding with the Munich Security Conference.
The participants in the meetings were not official government representatives, but rather individuals with diplomatic and security policy experience, according to two sources. Their names were not disclosed. One of the informants stated that some of Donald Trump’s advisors were informed about the discussions. However, many details, including the exact agenda and the possible involvement of Ukrainian representatives, remained unclear.
The meetings in Switzerland took place as part of the so-called “Track-Two Diplomacy” with the goal of improving communication and exchanging ideas, according to a source.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that regular meetings between the parties involved in the Ukraine conflict do take place in Switzerland and that the authorities are informed about these activities. “These activities contribute to the maintenance of diplomatic efforts in connection with the conflict” it was said.
This week, high-ranking officials from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreeing on a gradual normalization of diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow. This included the re-establishment of ambassadors and measures to restore bilateral cooperation. It remains unclear whether the secret meetings in Switzerland had any influence on these official negotiations.