European Union leaders met with mixed reactions a push by European Council President António Costa to open diplomatic channels with Russia in the light of potential peace negotiations.
An EU official confirmed media reports on Thursday 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.
“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 on arrival at an EU summit in Brussels.
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.
“However, I haven’t yet received a corresponding response from the Russian side. I don’t get the impression that Russia, and especially President (Vladimir) Putin, wants to come to the negotiating table to negotiate a peace deal,” Stocker said.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten reacted more hesitantly, suggesting that the time is not ripe for engagement with Russia.
“So far, we have not seen any real willingness on Putin’s part to enter into serious negotiations. That is where it all starts,” he said.
“We in Europe will also have to consider what our ultimate position will be when we sit down at the negotiating table,” he said, adding that it was too early to decide who would represent the EU in potential talks.
“My understanding is this that it is much better to step in if we see some positive signals coming from Russia,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, echoing Jetten’s concerns.
Positive signals could be a ceasefire or Russia’s willingness to start talks with Ukraine, Nausėda said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not know many details about Costa’s outreach.
Ukraine sees new wave of EU support
The moves came ahead of a two-day EU summit where support for Ukraine is one of the main topics.
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 are set to discuss 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.