You can submit a question and read previous answers here. But this represents an attempt to keep communication lines open and to explore any common ground from which a ceasefire could emerge.Īs the war drags on, with a huge human and political cost, the efforts to find space for negotiation and compromise will grow. The individuals themselves would not comment either. The White House and the Kremlin offered no comment on the meetings. In this case, however, given we know that Mr Lavrov was involved, the discussions have been dubbed 'track 1.5' one side of the conversation involves a serving government official. In diplo-speak, this form of indirect contact between two governments, involving private individuals, is known as 'track two diplomacy'. The backchannel diplomacy involved Richard Hass, Charles Kupchan and Thomas Graham, all former American administration officials now aligned with the US thinktank, the Council on Foreign Relations. On one occasion, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was involved in the conversations. In early July this year, we learnt that a group of former American national security officials met senior Russian officials who are believed to be close to the Kremlin. So what about behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Americans and the Russians? Well, yes – negotiations have taken place, but they are very much 'unofficial'. This includes the Donbas region and also the Crimean peninsula, taken by Russia in 2014. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly made clear that their objective is to take all their land back. Publicly, the Americans say it is for Ukraine and only Ukraine to determine the terms on which it would be prepared to agree to a ceasefire. The question is what the terms of that negotiation will look like.

The first thing to say is that all wars, in time, are brought to an end through negotiation.

Our US correspondent Mark Stone has picked this one up.Ī great question. Today's question comes from Hillshome, who asks: Do you believe the USA and Russia are negotiating a deal out of this war, even though no such negotiation is known about? We've been putting your questions on the war to our experts and senior correspondents.

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