
Former senior officials from Britain, France, Germany and Russia held a confidential meeting in Vienna last month to discuss possible conditions for launching peace talks that would end the war in Ukraine.
The news was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the meeting.
According to them, the meeting was attended by former British National Security Advisor Tim Barrow, former Secretary of State at the German Foreign Ministry Markus Ederer, and veteran French diplomat Pierre Vimont.
The sources did not reveal the identity of the former Kremlin official who participated in the discussions.
The meeting was held at the initiative of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Switzerland-based organization that deals with conflict mediation and describes itself as a pioneer of discreet and independent diplomacy.
According to Bloomberg, it is not uncommon for former officials and think tanks to develop informal contacts, away from governments, to test new options for resolving international crises.
The sources did not clarify whether the meeting was part of a coordinated initiative by Britain, France and Germany to establish contacts with the Kremlin.
However, one source said that the UK welcomed the effort, while another confirmed that France was aware of the meeting.
A British government spokesman stated: “The UK supports efforts to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We do not comment on the activities of former officials.”