Financial Times Investigation Reveals Secret 2022 Efforts to Prevent Russian Nuclear Escalation in Ukraine

A new investigation by the Financial Times, published today, details secret efforts in 2022 by an American lawyer, a banker, and a former German spy to establish an unofficial communication channel with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their aim was to dissuade him from using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, following warnings from a Kremlin-linked businessman about potential nuclear escalation. The channel reportedly delivered a US message assuring Putin that Washington did not seek to overthrow his government, after which Putin publicly stated that nuclear weapons offered no political or military benefit.