Representatives of European countries held a closed meeting with the Russian side last month to discuss possible options for ending the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing its own sources. According to the publication, Europe was represented at the negotiations by former UK National Security Adviser Tim Barrow, former German Foreign Secretary Markus Ederer, and experienced French diplomat Pierre Vimont. The identities of the Russian representatives were not disclosed by Bloomberg's sources. At the same time, neither the UK, France, Germany, nor Russia have officially confirmed the fact of such a meeting. Bloomberg notes that former officials and representatives of think tanks often participate in unofficial diplomatic contacts to discuss possible solutions to complex international crises. Such meetings take place without an official mandate and serve as a platform for exchanging ideas that can later be conveyed to the acting authorities through diplomatic channels. This is not the first report of such contacts. In July, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that a meeting of representatives from Germany and Russia took place in his country, one of the topics of which was also the possible cessation of the war in Ukraine. In response to these reports, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that such negotiations have little impact on the conflict resolution process. A representative of the Ukrainian foreign ministry emphasized that Kyiv did not authorize Germany to conduct any negotiations on ending the war on behalf of Ukraine.