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EU to Discuss Who Could Face Putin in Future Ukraine Talks Next Week
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European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss potential candidates to represent the bloc in possible future negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine during a meeting in Cyprus next week.
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According to Financial Times on May 20, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among the names being discussed by European officials as possible representatives in contacts with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The report said several EU governments have also proposed Finnish President Alexander Stubb and former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö as potential candidates.
Previously, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected proposals that she serve as a mediator in potential EU-led talks with Russia, arguing that negotiations with the Kremlin require active political authority.
Speaking at the WDR Europaforum, Merkel said diplomacy with Vladimir Putin after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea was only possible because she and then-French President François Hollande were sitting leaders at the time.
The discussions gained momentum after both Washington and Kyiv signaled support for a greater European diplomatic role alongside ongoing US-led peace efforts.
Sources cited by Financial Times said the administration of US President Donald Trump informed EU officials that Washington would not oppose parallel European engagement with Russia while US-backed negotiations continue.
“They know that this is not working,” one source told Financial Times, referring to existing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
The report noted that talks are taking place at multiple political levels inside the EU, with the possibility of formal discussions among European leaders during the bloc’s June summit.
A senior Ukrainian official cited by Financial Times said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would prefer Europe to be represented by “someone like Draghi” or by “a strong, sitting leader.”
According to the outlet, Zelenskyy is expected to discuss the issue later this week with the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Financial Times reported that Draghi is viewed by some European officials as a broadly respected figure across the EU whose technocratic background could make him suitable for negotiations.
One European official cited by the newspaper said Niinistö “is one of the few Europeans who has a working relationship with Putin,” but added that “the Russians are very unhappy with Finland right now.”
“I think it should be someone from countries like the Netherlands or Portugal that do not have the baggage of eastern countries,” the official added.
According to Financial Times, EU foreign ministers are also expected to discuss Europe’s conditions for future relations with Russia after the war, including potential red lines regarding any settlement involving Ukraine and the prerequisites for broader negotiations with the Kremlin.
The newspaper added that some EU governments remain concerned about the discussions themselves, fearing they could expose internal divisions within the bloc over policy toward Russia and Ukraine.
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