Summary

European governments are considering appointing a representative to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a peace deal for Ukraine, as concerns grow that the United States could reach an agreement without adequately protecting Kyiv’s and Europe’s interests, POLITCO reports. The debate intensified this week after U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia to propose a three-way summit involving Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to secure a ceasefire. Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters’ Network, of which POLITICO is a part, that Putin does not regard the European Union as an authority. “President Putin disregards the European Union as an authority,” Pavel said Tuesday. “He doesn’t want to talk to Ursula von der Leyen, he doesn’t talk to Kaja Kallas. He stopped talking to other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron.” Pavel argued that European leaders should agree on a representative or delegation authorized to negotiate on their behalf. “identify a person or a group of people who would speak for Europe. Not necessarily representatives of the EU or NATO, but simply leaders who would be given a mandate by the others to negotiate,” he said. Trump has unsettled Ukraine and its European allies in recent days by conducting discussions with Putin without them and appearing increasingly inclined to support Russia's position in the war, which is approaching its fifth year. The developments have revived debate in Brussels and elsewhere about establishing a direct European channel to the Kremlin to defend the continent's interests and strengthen Ukraine's ability to reject an unfavorable settlement. David Lidington, a distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said Europe should consider opening such a channel despite limited prospects for immediate progress. “Much as it sticks in the craw, I do think a channel of some kind to Putin would be a good thing to have,” he said. “I am not optimistic that it would achieve anything much in the short term, but to have a channel which can then be used as and when an opportunity arises is not a bad thing.” European diplomats and officials remain divided over who should lead the effort. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has negotiated directly with Trump on trade, European Council President António Costa has previously established contact with the Kremlin through his office, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is another possible representative of European interests. However, a diplomat from an EU member country, speaking anonymously about sensitive matters, said European officials must recognize that negotiations involving Putin and Trump would not necessarily follow the bloc's institutional protocols. “We cannot show up with two or three people all speaking on behalf of the EU,” the diplomat said. “The choice of who ends up representing the EU will be based on what would provide the most value, not personal power struggles or narcissistic preferences.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb has emerged as a possible candidate from outside the EU's institutional structure. His advantages include what is considered one of the strongest relationships with Trump among EU leaders and Finland's extensive experience dealing with Russia. The two countries share a 1,300-kilometer border and have fought wars against each other in the past. “Stubb is of interest because of Finnish knowledge of and traditional dialogue with Russia,” one European diplomat said. “They know more than anyone on our side [about] what it takes to feel secure in such a situation.” Another EU diplomat described Stubb as “the only person who has come forward so far” to demonstrate political leadership at the highest level, suggesting he could represent Europe at a future peace summit. Stubb met with Zelensky and Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday for discussions ahead of the U.S. envoy's trip to Russia. Von der Leyen's senior aide, Bjoern Seibert, also attended the Oslo meeting. Seibert has participated in gatherings of national security advisers within the Coalition of the Willing, which supports Ukraine. A third European diplomat stressed that the EU as a whole must be represented in negotiations, rather than leaving the process to a handful of major powers such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The diplomat said Seibert and Pedro Lourtie, Costa's senior aide, should both participate in preparatory discussions. EU member states must also receive adequate updates on the negotiations, the diplomat added. At last week's summit in Brussels, European leaders asked Costa whether he should begin direct talks with Putin, according to a fourth EU diplomat. “Costa said, no, he’s not going to talk to Putin now,” the diplomat said. “But Costa should start talking to Putin if we want to play a role in the negotiations. By not speaking, we are playing into the hands of our opponents.” The diplomat argued that Costa would be a more suitable negotiator than von der Leyen or Kallas, whom some regard as too closely aligned with Ukraine to represent the EU effectively in leader-level discussions. Kallas has also been particularly vocal in criticizing Trump. “Costa comes across as more of an honest broker,” the diplomat said. The European Commission maintains that the EU is already involved in the peace process, pointing to Seibert's participation in Tuesday's meeting in Oslo. European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told reporters on Wednesday that the Oslo discussions sought to determine whether conditions were in place to advance toward talks involving Ukraine and Russia together, potentially in a trilateral or broader multilateral format. She said the discussions covered territorial questions, security and Ukraine's postwar prosperity. Witkoff is expected to brief Ukrainian and European officials following his meeting with Putin. “What is very important is that we are sitting at the table, that we are able to present our position, and that we can engage in what is a shared objective to put an end to this horrific war,” Pinho said.