Mediators established unofficial contact channel between Biden administration and Putin

According to reports from the Financial Times, an unofficial communication channel was established between the Biden administration and Vladimir Putin during 2022 and early 2023. The initiative aimed to mitigate the risk of nuclear escalation and explore potential avenues for ending the war in Ukraine.

The channel was organized by American corporate lawyer Richard Con and investors Bob Forsman and Matthias Warnig. The process began in March 2022 after an unnamed Russian businessman approached Con due to concerns that a failed Russian offensive against Kyiv might prompt the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

Through connections at Dresdner, Forsman linked the group to Warnig, a German businessman and former head of the Nord Stream projects with long-standing ties to the Russian president. Eric Green of the U.S. National Security Council was also involved from the American side.

In October 2022, Con conveyed a message from the White House to Warnig stating that the United States was not seeking regime change or the destruction of Russia, but rather peace. In response, Warnig relayed a message indicating that Putin was open to negotiations for a long-term solution but was unwilling to make concessions and prepared to continue the conflict.