The Kremlin believes that European states cannot act as neutral mediators in possible peace negotiations, because of the military support given to Ukraine. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly rejected the idea of European leaders participating as intermediaries in the talks on ending the war, according to Bloomberg.
Russian President Vladimir Putin/PHOTO: Profimedia
The dispute arises amid disagreements within the European Union regarding the appointment of a special emissary for possible negotiations with Russia. The leader from the Kremlin claims that the EU states are part of the conflict, as they support Kiev militarily, which, in his opinion, excludes any form of neutrality.
The statements were made during a meeting with representatives of the international press, held in Saint Petersburg. Putin has reiterated his support for a peace deal he says was previously outlined with US President Donald Trump in a meeting in Alaska.
Earlier, leaders from Germany, France and Great Britain discussed the possibility of negotiations that would include both Russia and Ukraine, consulting with the Ukrainian side as well.
“How could the European Union or its member states be mediators, if they provide direct support to a party in armed conflict? Mediation requires neutrality“, said Putin.
He resumed the idea of a supposed compromise agreement discussed with Donald Trump during the Anchorage summit last August. At the same time, he suggested that the European states could contribute to the peace process not by supplying weapons, but by influencing the authorities in Kiev to accept some compromises proposed by Moscow.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent an open letter to Vladimir Putin, in which he proposed a direct meeting to discuss a solution to end the war. Zelenski also insisted that both Europe and the United States must be involved in any diplomatic process to end the conflict.
Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donetsk region, including territories that Russian forces have not occupied since 2014. In this context, US-mediated negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine are at a standstill, while Washington has reduced its involvement amid other international crises.
Against this background, Germany, France and the United Kingdom believe there is a diplomatic window for resuming dialogue with Moscow, as the war of attrition increasingly affects Russia's military capability and domestic economic pressure mounts.
Putin stated that Russia wants to clarify the European representation in possible negotiations, stressing that these interlocutors must be “trustworthy people”. He again brought up the name of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whom he describes as an experienced politician despite criticism of his closeness to the Russian leader.
“He is not a friend of Putin. He is a German statesman and, in my opinion, one of the best, because he has his own position and the courage to support it“, said the Kremlin leader.
In parallel, the European leaders are still discussing the possibility of resuming direct contacts with Moscow, but before appointing a possible special emissary, they are trying to establish the general framework of the negotiations, the possible themes and the red lines. A meeting of representatives of the 27 EU member states is to take place in Cyprus, but no final decision on an official negotiator is expected.
The President of the European Council, António Costa, has already held consultations with several European leaders, and names floated for a possible mediation role include Mario Draghi, Angela Merkel and Alexander Stubb.
