US and Russian representatives held informal talks on Ukraine in Switzerland – Reuters

US and Russian representatives have held informal discussions on the war in Ukraine in Switzerland over the past few months, including last week.

As reported by Reuters, although the participants have diplomatic and security expertise, they are not government officials and it is unclear whether they were sent by their respective governments, two sources noted.

The talks were described as contacts occurring during the transition period following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election on 5 November.

At least some of Trump's advisers are aware of these meetings, says a source directly involved in the discussions.

Many details remain unclear, including whether Ukrainian representatives were present, when the meetings started and what was on the agenda.

One source characterised the discussions as a Track Two dialogue – an informal diplomatic effort aimed at improving communication and exchanging ideas rather than drafting concrete proposals.

The White House National Security Council, the Ukrainian government and Russia's foreign ministry did not provide a response to requests for comment.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that such activities help sustain diplomatic efforts related to the war, confirming that it was aware of such meetings, which are regularly held in Switzerland. 

The ministry explained that these meetings, organised by non-governmental actors, allow for discussions without direct government involvement.

Two sources reported that at least one meeting took place in Geneva during the Munich Security Conference last week.

Historically, Track Two diplomacy has helped establish communication between parties with deep mistrust, with the hope that improved dialogue could lead to diplomatic breakthroughs.

In 2023, NBC reported that former US national security officials had engaged in secret talks with Russians considered close to the Kremlin, with some of them eventually meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

One source suggested that Track Two diplomacy might have lost much of its relevance, as US and Russian officials have recently established official channels of dialogue.

On 18 February, senior officials from Russia and the US met in Saudi Arabia, where they agreed to "remove irritants" from bilateral relations and continue preparations for negotiations on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

In particular, they agreed to appoint high-level working groups for negotiations on Ukraine.

On 20 February, Trump stated that Russia "has the cards" in potential peace negotiations to end the war, as it has "taken a lot of territory".