NYT: EU Decides Fundamental Question On Putin
- 23.05.2026, 9:09
There has been a major shift in the situation.
As European leaders begin to consider negotiating with the government of Kremlin dictator Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, they have begun discussing an important question: should they choose an envoy for the talks?
But before they do, they are trying to resolve an even more fundamental question - how exactly will they negotiate? Foreign ministry officials from 27 European Union countries are expected to assess the possibility of discussions with Russia next week at a meeting in Cyprus - including what the talks might focus on and what red lines Europe would keep in place, writes The New York Times.
According to three diplomats and two officials on condition of anonymity, no final decision on an official envoy is expected at the meeting. Still, the idea of choosing one person or a small group to liaise with the Kremlin could be raised.
A major shift in the situation
What is remarkable - and what is a major shift in recent weeks - is that the possibility of talks with Russia is on the table at all. European countries suspended most political engagement with Russia after the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have long said that the time to talk to Putin was not yet ripe because he was not serious about ending the war.
It has become increasingly difficult to stick to that policy, media reports say. U.S. negotiators have been working for months on some kind of peace plan, but progress has stalled as they have been repeatedly distracted, most recently amid a joint Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran.
More importantly, Europeans have been denied a seat at the table during crucial discussions and therefore have had little confidence that their U.S. counterparts are negotiating with their interests in mind. With this in mind, European leaders are considering ways to talk to Moscow to make sure that any peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine will be an agreement that both Kiev and the continent as a whole can live with.
Almost increasingly, they seem to think that to have more influence, they may need to speak with one voice during future negotiations.
"This is about a fundamental lack of trust and confidence that Europe has with the United States," emphasized Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group consulting firm.
António Costa, president of the European Union's political wing, helped set in motion the race for a European envoy when he said publicly on May 7 that he was "talking to leaders to find the best way to organize us" when the "right moment" to talk to Russia comes.
Costa emphasized that Europe should not "interfere" with the U.S.-led peace process, but noted that he and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had discussed a European presence in discussions with Russia. Then, on May 14, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with a Lithuanian broadcaster that the time was "approaching" for direct European involvement in the talks as Russia faces setbacks on the battlefield.
Stubb also emphasized: "If you are not at the table, you will be eaten at the table. I think it's better to engage in some kind of dialog." Zelensky has since confirmed that he and Costa had talked about the need for a specific envoy.
Kremlin is no longer as categorical about Europe
Kremlin has officially said it is open to talks with any country regarding the conflict in Ukraine. But the prevailing view in Moscow has long been that any real negotiations should be with Washington.
The conditions have changed recently. Progress in U.S.-led negotiations on Ukraine has stalled. Washington is more focused on the Middle East and other issues. And Europe is by far Kiev's biggest backer, especially when it is funneling a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine to support its ongoing war effort.
Moscow has hinted that it is open to talks with a European representative. "Let the Europeans choose a leader whom they trust and who has not made any unpleasant remarks about us," Putin said at a news conference in early May.
Now Europe has more influence over Ukraine than Washington, said Konstantin Remchukov, editor-in-chief of a Moscow newspaper with ties to the Kremlin, who emphasized in an interview that this explains Russia's willingness to negotiate with Europe.
"There are influential people who believe that the conflict should be over by the end of the year," Remchukov said. - However, you can't just take the conflict and end it, because Ukraine is now - more than ever - under the tutelage of Western Europe, specifically Germany and Great Britain." At the same time, Russia partly continues to oppose negotiations with Europe.
Who is being discussed as Europe's representative
Not all European leaders are convinced that it will be easy to start negotiations with Russia. "Russia's attitude is that what we will not achieve in the war field, we will come and demand at the table," said Kristen Michal, the Estonian prime minister.
Although much uncertainty remains about whether Europe will choose an interlocutor and how Russia will interact with him or her, speculation is already rife about who that person might be.
Costa, who already occupies a key political leadership role at the European level, is one of the options featured in media reports in recent weeks. Also frequently mentioned are Mario Draghi, former Italian prime minister and head of the European Central Bank, Angela Merkel, former German chancellor, and Stubb.
European diplomats and officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said any discussions on the issue were in their infancy and any names circulating were purely hypothetical.
Putin, on the other hand, said Gerhard Schroeder, the former German chancellor, could represent the European point of view. European leaders categorically rejected the idea because of Schroeder's proximity to the Kremlin. It is probably no coincidence that Putin, who speaks German and served in East Germany during his time in the KGB, suggested someone from Germany.