London and Moscow held secret negotiations.

According to RT, an article by the British publication The i on Friday stated that UK government officials held secret diplomatic talks with Kremlin representatives on international security measures throughout the conflict in Ukraine.

The article states that dialogue has taken place in cities like Vienna and New York over the past 18 months, addressing issues such as grain shortages and nuclear safety. However, the newspaper, citing an unnamed British official, revealed that finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine was not discussed.

“We maintained contact and felt it was essential to maintain an open dialogue during the war in Ukraine. We are not dividing up the country or making peace deals on behalf of anyone, but keeping those lines of communication open is crucial.”

Grain prices have risen sharply since Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022 – an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain from its ports to countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa in exchange for the lifting of sanctions hindering Russian agricultural exports.

However, Moscow insisted that the West continued to prevent Russia from transporting food and fertilizer. British officials also demanded nuclear security guarantees throughout the conflict, on issues including the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, amid concerns about a potential radiation disaster.

The British diplomat told the newspaper that the UK has a “clear strategic position” on Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and that it is “one of the very few topics” on which the UK fully agrees with NATO and other allies. Therefore, it would be “very odd” for British diplomats to be given the authority to attempt to negotiate a ceasefire agreement.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed to The i that discussions with Russian officials had taken place only when “absolutely necessary” but stressed that the UK has no position to make any decisions on behalf of Kyiv.

The spokesperson stated: “Ukraine and the Ukrainian government must define their position in any negotiations. Just as Ukraine decides its own future of freedom and democracy.”

In July, NBC reported that a group of former senior US national security officials had held discussions with key Russian figures, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The source said the meetings aimed to lay the groundwork for measures to end the conflict in Ukraine.

On September 23, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, told reporters that Moscow has been maintaining informal discussions with a number of "European colleagues," in which topics such as "life, various issues, and politics" are discussed.