EU prepares for possible talks with Putin

European Union leaders are preparing for possible talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior official said, as discontent grows in European capitals over negotiations to end the war in Ukraine led by US President Donald Trump.

European Council President Antonio Costa said he believes there is "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Putin and that the bloc has the support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for this, the Financial Times reports.

"I am talking to the 27 national leaders (of the EU) to determine the best way to organize ourselves and to specify what we really need to talk about with Russia when the right time comes," said Košta.

At the EU leaders' summit in Cyprus last month, Zelensky "called on us to be ready to contribute positively to the negotiations," Košta added.

The FT states that the EU's long-standing policy is to oppose talks or decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine's participation, but that many leaders fear that peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine to end the war have made little progress and have left the EU dangerously on the sidelines, exposed to the possibility of being forced to accept an agreement it does not agree with.

Košta said that Brussels would "avoid obstructing the process led by President Trump" and admitted that there was no signal from the Kremlin that Putin was ready to sit at the table with any representative of the bloc.

“Yes, there is potential (for negotiations with Putin),” Costa said at a gathering at the European University Institute in Florence. “(But) so far, no one has seen any sign from Russia that it really wants to engage in serious negotiations.”

Zelensky's cabinet confirmed the conversation with Kostya, but said it should be coordinated so that it shows a united European voice and can put pressure on Russia, according to the FT.

Some EU leaders, including Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, have opened up the possibility of trying to establish a channel for talks with the Kremlin, but others say there is no consensus among the 27 leaders on who should be appointed to speak on behalf of the bloc, when such an effort should be undertaken and what the message to Putin would be.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, had arrived in the United States to hold meetings with Trump's special envoys, including Steve Witkoff. The goal, he said, is to "revive the diplomatic process," which has stalled since Trump launched a war with Iran.

The last trilateral meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia was held on February 18th.

Zelensky said that Kiev remained "in constant communication with the American side and is aware of relevant contacts of our partners with the Russian side."

"We are working to help bring about a dignified peace and guarantee security," he said.

At the same time, he said that "the Russian side is not taking a constructive approach even when it comes to the ceasefire regime."

Kiev and Moscow have exchanged rival proposals this week for a halt to the offensive. Putin said Russian forces would respect a brief ceasefire so Moscow could hold its annual Victory Day parade on May 9, during which it expected Ukraine to halt attacks.

Zelensky, however, took the initiative and announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 6. His office told the FT that the president wanted to show that if Russia could secure a ceasefire for Victory Day, then it could extend it to the entire front, as well as to expose the contradiction in Putin seeking security for his parade while continuing offensive operations inside Ukraine.

Russia soon launched attacks, killing 27 people and injuring at least 120 others in cities across Ukraine.