European Union has refused to appoint special envoy for talks with Russia, - media
The European Union will not yet appoint a negotiator for potential talks with Vladimir Putin, considering it inappropriate until a common position has been agreed upon.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by ERR, citing the dpa news agency.
According to senior EU officials, both EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and leading EU countries, including Germany, currently consider the appointment of a specific negotiator to be inappropriate, Deutsche Welle reports.
"We first need to agree on exactly what we want to discuss with Russia," one EU official explained to the agency.
Brussels is convinced that sanctions pressure will help bring Russian President Putin to the negotiating table. According to dpa, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) will present a draft of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia at closed-door consultations on May 28. It is expected to target the financial sector and suppliers to the Russian defense industry.
What preceded it?
- As a reminder, Finnish President Alexander Stubb previously expressed his willingness to represent the interests of the European bloc in negotiations with Moscow, if necessary.
- The European Union is discussing the possible appointment of a special negotiator to participate in the negotiation process regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. Among the candidates mentioned are Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi, Alexander Stubb, and EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas. Additionally, according to the publication, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide could be appointed to this role.
