Calls for direct talks have prompted debate among the bloc’s 27 member countries about who, if anyone, should represent the EU. Poland and Baltic countries have pushed back on these efforts, arguing that direct talks could undermine pressure on Moscow, while French President Emmanuel Macron has backed the talks.
A senior EU diplomat from a Nordic country described the effort to make contact as “delusional.”
“It’s surprising how much willingness some EU leaders have to make the same mistakes, to be proven wrong, to get nothing of each and every attempt ‘to talk to Russia’ and yet keep repeating the same exercise,” the diplomat said.
At a G7 conference in Evian-les-Bains, France, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would resume its interest in Ukraine-Russia talks after his administration struck a framework ceasefire agreement with Iran.
At the conference, Macron praised U.S. efforts to end Russia’s war, while adding that such initiatives have so far not delivered results. “President Trump has, like us, just recognized that there is no serious desire from Russia to bring peace.”
The matter of Europe’s role in peace talks is likely to come up during a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, but with no decision expected on who should lead them, according to two EU diplomats.
Hans von der Burchard, Clea Caulcutt, Gabriel Gavin and Jacopo Barigazzi contributed reporting. This article has been updated.