European governments yesterday rejected a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent's security.
Over the weekend, the Russian leader suggested Schroeder - his longtime ally - as a possible figure to help revive talks with Europe, saying he would "personally" support the former German leader for the role.
However, European Union foreign ministers, ahead of a meeting in Brussels yesterday, expressed skepticism that Russia is ready to end the war and honestly negotiate peace and security for Europe.
They have ruled out any role for Schroeder, who has worked for Russian state-owned companies and has cultivated a close relationship with Putin, Reuters reports. “It’s clear why Putin wants him to be that person – to actually… sit on both sides of the table,” EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kalas told reporters.
“If we give Russia the right to appoint a negotiator on our behalf... that would not be very wise.”
Asked later whether she could personally participate in such conversations, Callas said:
"When a politician doesn't blow his own trumpet, it usually stays untouched. So I have to say that I think I would be able to see through the traps that Russia sets."
She added that there is no indication that Russia is ready to engage in talks in good faith and that the Europeans would first have to agree on what they want from any potential negotiations.
German Europe Minister Günther Krichbaum said Schröder, who was chancellor from 1998 to 2005, lacked the credibility to be an “honest mediator.” “He is, and certainly was, strongly influenced by Putin. Close friendships may be legitimate anywhere in the world, but they do not help one be perceived as an impartial mediator,” Krichbaum said.
The Guardian recalls that Schroeder, 82, previously held senior positions in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipeline and a seat on the board of Russian oil company Rosneft. He stepped down from that position a few months after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but he never explicitly condemned Putin for the invasion.
Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian politics, described the proposal as “a classic Putin idea.” “He tries to sound reasonable, but he frames every potential dialogue in a way that suits him best,” Galeotti told Times Radio.
Putin's surprise proposal came after the Russian president hinted that the conflict in Ukraine could be nearing an end, a rare instance in which Putin appeared to indicate a possible timeframe for ending the invasion.
However, Putin's closest advisers said the Kremlin still demands that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region as a precondition for future negotiations.
The Russian president remains determined to seize the remaining parts of the region by force this year before any serious talks begin, sources familiar with his thinking told The Guardian.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius assessed that Putin's statements about peace are probably a hoax.
"If he sees the end of this war approaching, couldn't he just end it himself? Then he would have control over the timing," Pistorius said during a visit to Kiev.
"Instead, as always, he sets conditions. One should fear - and I hope I am wrong - that this is another deception. But it cannot be ruled out and it seems to be part of his hybrid war strategy," he added. The defense minister said Putin was "trying to divert attention from his own weaknesses."
The EU has pursued a policy of isolating Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has imposed sanctions and had few high-level political and diplomatic contacts with Russia.
But as US-led talks to end the conflict have made little progress while Washington focuses on the war in Iran, some European officials have called on the EU to consider direct talks with Moscow, possibly led by a special envoy.
European Council President Antonio Costa said last week he was talking to other EU leaders "to organize ourselves and determine what we need" for talks with Russia when "the right moment" comes.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha said the EU could be involved in talks that would be "complementary" to the US-led negotiations, but he did not provide further details.
“We could talk about a new role for Europe,” he told reporters in Brussels. “We have the main peace talks led by the US and we need that channel... but Europe could also play its role.”
Kallas and several ministers said the EU should first increase pressure on Russia and agree on what it wants from any talks before considering negotiations or the selection of representatives.
“This is not about electing anyone,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris. “We need to go back to basics, and the basics are to prepare our instruments to put pressure on Russia.”
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said it was time for the EU to become more actively involved in talks with Russia and appoint a negotiating team.
"But we will decide that - Russia will not," she said.
European Union foreign ministers discussed yesterday in Brussels the new, 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which should target the Russian military-industrial complex.
"Our target is Russia's military-industrial complex, and of course member states can also put forward proposals regarding the shadow fleet," said Kalas.
The European Union last month approved its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, as well as a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine.
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