Alleged Secret German-Russian Meeting Held in Azerbaijan’s Capital

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that flight records confirm former German officials Ronald Pofalla and Matthias Platzeck, together with senior Russian figures Viktor Zubkov and Valeriy Fadeyev, convened in Baku in mid-July. He added that Azerbaijan had learned of the gathering only from media reports and had received no prior notice from either Germany or Russia.

Reuters

Azerbaijan has tried to maintain a balanced foreign policy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, providing humanitarian aid to Kyiv while refraining from joining Western sanctions on Moscow. Relations with Russia have been strained after a Russian air-defence system mistakenly shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December 2024, killing at least 38 people. Earlier in 2024, German politicians—including former Social-Democrat Ralf Stegner—attended private events in Baku that raised concerns in Berlin about possible Russian influence channels.

Reuters

According to Aliyev, Pofalla and Platzeck flew from Berlin to Baku on July 12 and returned on July 14. During the same period, Zubkov and Fadeyev also travelled to the Azerbaijani capital. The flight data, which Aliyev presented on July 21, form the basis of his claim that a clandestine meeting occurred.

Reuters

President Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s lack of prior knowledge, stating, “We received no information about this from either Germany or Russia.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was unaware that such a meeting had taken place. Gazprom, whose board chair Zubkov leads, declined to comment, and the Russian polling firm VCIOM, where Fadeyev sits on the board, did not respond to requests for comment. Aliyev added that if the meeting contributed to ending the Ukraine-Russia war, Azerbaijan would welcome that outcome.

Reuters

“We received no information about this from either Germany or Russia,” — Ilham Aliyev, azerbaijani president

Reuters