European Union leaders were unable to agree on establishing a communication channel with Russia to ensure the bloc's interests are protected should progress be made in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The publication reports that European Council President António Costa, who chaired a two-day summit in Brussels this week, instructed his office to contact the Kremlin and proposed a high-level official as a point of contact.
Costa also said his goal was not to mediate or create a parallel negotiating track to the one led by the United States, which had not made significant progress. He said it had been necessary to establish direct contact immediately, as Europe could not rely solely on others to interpret Russian messages and had to be able to convey its own messages directly to Russia. He clarified that Brussels would not seek to mediate in the negotiations, but rather to engage in open communication.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she supported Costa's approach, as the entire European continent was under threat and Europe therefore had to be one of the architects of a just and lasting peace.
According to the publication, there has been debate in Europe in recent months over the possibility of appointing a mediator for negotiations with Russia, but this idea has been largely rejected, as many believe Vladimir Putin is unlikely to engage in negotiations. Instead, the 27 EU countries have focused on the concessions Russia must make to ensure peace.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that peace negotiations must ultimately be conducted by Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States. He said there was no need to decide now who would speak on behalf of the European Union, adding that this would be decided once negotiations began.
Merz also highlighted efforts to coordinate diplomacy within the so-called E3 group, comprising Germany, France and the United Kingdom, a format that he said had emerged at Ukraine's direct request.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Europe should not take on the role of a neutral mediator, but should instead support Ukraine's position in order to force the Kremlin into serious negotiations.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said that, in his view, opening this channel was not a mistake and that he trusted António Costa. He added that it had been very clear the previous night that any negotiations must first and foremost take place between Ukraine and Russia, although there were no signs that Russia was even ready to sit down at the negotiating table.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Costa had established contact with the Kremlin in an effort to engage Vladimir Putin in discussions on ways to end the war in Ukraine. According to the report, Costa's chief adviser had twice called a senior Russian official close to Putin in an effort to lay the groundwork for more substantive negotiations in the future, one source familiar with the private matter said.
