Overview

• Ralf Stegner participated in an unofficial meeting in Baku on April 14, 2025, with Russian figures linked to the Kremlin, including Gazprom's Viktor Subkow and human rights council head Valery Fadejew.
• Stegner, along with former German officials Ronald Pofalla and Matthias Platzeck, stated the meeting was self-financed, informal, and focused on dialogue, denying any exchange of classified information.
• The Greens and FDP have called for Stegner’s removal from the Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee, citing risks of intelligence compromise and his access to sensitive information.
• Critics, including Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU) and Franziska Brantner (Greens), have raised concerns over potential FSB surveillance and labeled the meeting as reckless during ongoing tensions with Russia.
• Stegner asserts that maintaining dialogue with Russia is crucial, but opposition figures demand transparency and question the appropriateness of such meetings during the Ukraine war.