British officials have been holding secret diplomatic talks with key Kremlin officials on global security for 18 months amid a full-scale war in Ukraine.
According to Sky News, the meetings took place in various places such as Vienna and New York, as part of behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts.
Discussions focused largely on security issues affecting both the UK and the international community, including grain shortages and nuclear safety.
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Referring to newspaper I, it is noted that Britain did not conduct active peace negotiations aimed at a diplomatic settlement of the war on the territory of Ukraine. This information was confirmed by a British diplomat who participated in some of these conversations.
— We remain in contact and believe that it is very important to maintain an open dialogue during the war in Ukraine. We are in no way dividing up parts of the country or entering into peace agreements on anyone's behalf, but it is vital to keep this line of contact open,— he said.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said meetings with officials allegedly did occur, but only when they were “absolutely necessary”.
The representative rejected any assertions that the discussions concerned the topic of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. He called information about such statements implausible and inaccurate.
