Russia is engaged in confidential discussions with some European countries regarding the conditions to conclude the war in Ukraine, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The exact identities of the Russian counterparts have not yet been officially confirmed; however, they are said to be former Kremlin officials. The German Foreign Office clarified that the talks were conducted neither on behalf of nor in coordination with the ministry. As early as the beginning of February 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had stated that there had been repeated confidential contacts at the technical and unofficial levels between European actors and Moscow. The Russian representatives were Viktor Subkov (former prime minister and chairman of Gazprom’s supervisory board) and Valery Fadeyev (head of the Russian Human Rights Council).