It was Ukraine that initiated discussion on strengthening EU’s role in negotiations with Russia, - Foreign Ministry. DOCUMENT
It was Ukraine that initiated the discussion on strengthening Europe’s role in peace efforts by appointing a European Union special envoy for contacts with Russia.
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made this statement in response to an inquiry from Censor.NET.
Details
This is not about replacing the U.S. negotiating track, but about supplementing it.
This call was first made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during his participation in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on May 12 in Brussels. He subsequently discussed this issue in a number of other negotiating forums, both with the EU and with individual European partners. Most recently, this was discussed during an informal ministerial meeting of EU member states in Limassol.
The Ukrainian side’s position is that a clear mandate with broad European representation must first be established, and then, based on that mandate, a specific representative, a group of countries, former or current leaders, or other formats should be selected to implement the mandate and achieve results.
Ukraine has also proposed a number of specific issues within the peace process that could be resolved through European efforts. These could include various types of ceasefires: from a so-called "airport" truce to a halt to attacks on seaports, the energy sector, and water supply systems. Other issues could include nuclear safety or the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as humanitarian measures: the return of civilian hostages or a humanitarian corridor from Oleshky.
There is currently an active debate underway in Brussels and other European capitals regarding potential candidates and formats for their involvement.
What happened beforehand?
- Earlier, Finnish President Alexander Stubb 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 peace talks regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. Among the candidates mentioned are Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi, Alexander Stubb, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Also, according to the publication, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide could be appointed to this role.
