— It is obvious that Europeans do not want and cannot be mediators. Moreover, they are currently actually direct participants in the war on the side of Kiev — Peskov told reporters.
He criticized Brussels for what he described as an attempt to deal a “crushing blow” to Russia, which he said prevented the EU from playing any role in the peace talks.
European Council President António Costa said last week that he saw “potential” for the EU to negotiate with President Vladimir Putin, as long as such actions are coordinated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that Kiev would welcome “greater coordination at European level” if it could help put “greater pressure” on Russia.
In response, Putin said that he would prefer former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder or “someone who did not slander Russia” to appear in any EU talks.
After Brussels rejected the idea, German media reported that The EU is considering the candidacy of his successor, Angela Merkelwhich avoids harsh rhetoric in its criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that both Russia and Ukraine see Washington as the only country capable of mediating the conflict, although he would also welcome other countries joining the effort.
Although the Trump administration has tried to portray itself as a neutral intermediary, the United States has been Ukraine's largest single military donor throughout the war, and in October the White House placed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
