European Union leaders met with mixed reactions attempt by European Council President António Costa to open diplomatic channels with Russia in the light of potential peace negotiations.
German government sources described the outreach as an “affront,” following a discussion among EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday evening. The move was “uncoordinated” and “unprofessional,” sources said.
Others warned that the time is not ripe for engagement with Russia, while some welcomed the push.
“So far, we have not seen any real willingness on Putin’s part to enter into serious negotiations. That is where it all starts,” said Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
“We are, of course, ready and open to supporting any attempt that can be made to achieve peace and end the war in Ukraine,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker struck a similar cord. “I’ve always said that I’m in favour of dialogue, of opening channels of communication because every peace start with dialogue,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the EU summit as a guest, said he did not know many details about the diplomatic contact.
Contested diplomatic outreach
An EU official confirmed media reports that there had been brief contacts at diplomatic level in recent weeks aimed at establishing communication channels with Moscow, but no substantive talks have taken place.
Diplomatic relations between Brussels and Moscow have been deeply strained since Russia first occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014 and have been frozen since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“The goal was to be ready, when the right moment comes, to defend the EU’s interests,” the EU official said.
“What we are talking about is brief contacts with no exchange on substance and no negotiation – diplomats doing diplomatic work.”
“The most important point is that Europeans remain coordinated on how to engage with Russia and on what the EU’s position should be,” the EU official said.
Some EU leaders also signalled that Costa “is the natural representative of the EU’s interests.”
EU aims to play a ‘key role’ in potential talks
A joint statement said that EU leaders support diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and underlined the EU’s readiness to strengthen its commitment in this regard.
“Europe has a key role to play in a future settlement and stands ready to defend its interests,” the declaration read.
EU leaders urge “Russia to show genuine willingness regarding peace, agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire and engage in meaningful negotiations towards a just and lasting peace.”
Ukraine sees new wave of EU support
Zelensky joined leaders for a briefing on the situation on the battlefield, as he returned to Brussels for the first time since his most prominent opponent within the EU, former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, was voted out of office earlier this year.
Ukraine has seen a new wave of support from the EU since Budapest lifted its vetoes on several initiatives, ranging from the opening of formal accession talks to the adoption of a €90-billion ($104.5-billion) loan for Kiev.
All 27 EU leaders gathered in Brussels also adopted a joint statement supporting Ukraine unanimously for the first time in over a year, and agreed to prolong economic sanctions on Russia by 12 months instead of six months.
Turning to economic issues, leaders discussed some of the EU’s most pressing challenges, including the bloc’s faltering competitiveness and broader global issues, like the EU’s difficult commercial relationship with China.
On Friday, EU leaders are due to focus their attention on the bloc’s next long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, which is currently in the range of €1 trillion to €2 trillion.