Secret U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Unveiled Amidst Diplomatic Shifts in Switzerland

U.S. and Russian officials have been engaged in confidential discussions about Ukraine in Switzerland since Donald Trump’s election victory in November, according to a Reuters report published on Thursday, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the conversations.

These informal “track two” talks, characterized by unofficial expert exchanges rather than formal governmental negotiations, aim to “enhance dialogue and explore new ideas” instead of formulating specific proposals.

The participants include non-governmental figures with expertise in diplomacy and security, and at least a “small number” of Trump’s advisors were reportedly informed about these discussions.

It remains unclear when the talks initially commenced, their frequency, or whether any representatives from Ukraine participated.

During the Biden presidency, discussions known as “track 1.5” reportedly took place between U.S. national security officials and senior Kremlin members. These semi-official conversations were intended to clarify each side’s boundaries and mitigate the risk of escalation.

Recently, one of the “track two” meetings occurred in Geneva during the Munich Security Conference, where U.S. officials reportedly caught European allies off guard by indicating that Washington might be willing to agree to some of Moscow’s significant demands prior to the commencement of peace negotiations.

However, according to one source from Reuters, the backchannel discussions may have become “less relevant” as U.S. and Russian negotiators have recently established more formal communication avenues.