Top officials from the UK, France, Germany, and Russia held asecret meeting in Austria

The group included former UK National Security Adviser Tim Barrow, former German Secretary of State Markus Ederer, and veteran French diplomat Pierre Vimont, Bloomberg reported on condition of anonymity.

They declined to name the Russian representative who participated in the meeting.

Barrow did not respond to a request for comment. The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

The German Foreign Ministry said it had no information about the discussions in question.

"They were not conducted on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office or in coordination with it," the ministry added.

A British government spokesperson noted: "The UK supports efforts to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We do not comment on the actions of former officials."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request for comment.

Former officials and think tanks often participate in informal diplomatic initiatives, not directly linked to governments, to explore potential solutions to complex international problems.

Such meetings are typically private initiatives without a formal mandate and are held in the format of expert discussions. Ideas discussed during such discussions may subsequently be forwarded through government channels.

Photo: kyivcity.gov.ua/