EU seeks representative for talks with Putin: Merkel and Draghi among candidates

EU foreign ministers will discuss possible representatives for talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine next week at a meeting in Cyprus.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

According to the publication, among the candidates being considered for the EU are former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, former German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, Finnish President Alexander Stubbs, and former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.

FT sources noted that the idea of negotiations between Europe and the Kremlin began to be discussed more actively after signals of support from the US and Ukraine.

The publication’s sources reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump has no objection to a parallel dialogue between the EU and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin alongside peace talks under the auspices of Washington.

Discussions of the candidates may continue at the level of EU leaders during the summit in June.

A senior Ukrainian official told the FT that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would like to see “someone like Draghi” or “a strong incumbent leader” at the head of the European negotiating team.

According to sources, Zelensky plans to raise this issue during meetings with the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The EU is also discussing the terms of a potential dialogue with the Kremlin, possible red lines, and Europe’s requirements for post-conflict relations with Russia.

At the same time, some European governments fear that the very discussion about negotiations will only exacerbate disagreements within the European Union over policies towards Ukraine and Russia.

It was previously reported that the European Union is exploring the possibility of establishing a direct channel of negotiations with the Kremlin so as not to be left out of the peace process regarding the war in Ukraine.

As a reminder, Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov, during his speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, outlined Ukraine’s position on negotiations with Russia.