Ukraine urges EU to ‘complement’ US peace talks with Russia

Europe can play a “new role” in peace negotiations with Russia, Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

“We have major peace talks under US leadership, and we need this path and we need US leadership,” Sybiha told reporters. “But Europe can also play its role, a new role.”

Sybiha added that Europe should provide a “complementary” and not “alternative” peace path to Washington and that he will discuss this idea with EU foreign ministers during today’s meeting.

His comments come amid stalled US efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict, as well as calls in some EU capitals for the bloc to normalize connections with Moscow.

They also come after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the war of more than four years was “coming to an end”.

The Russian leader said a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was “possible” but that it would only happen “after final agreements have been reached on a peace treaty for a long-term historical perspective”.

Not Schroeder

Putin also proposed this Gerhard Schrödera former German chancellor with close ties to the Kremlin could serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.

“Of all the European politicians, I would prefer to talk to Schroder,” he said.

But the former German chancellor has disqualified himself as a neutral mediator, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

“Gerhard Schroeder has been (a) high-level lobbyist for Russian state companies,” Kallas said. “So it’s clear why Putin wants him to be the person so that actually, you know, he would be sitting on both sides of the table.”

“If we give Russia the right to appoint (a) negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise,” Kallas said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard echoed Kalla’s comments, saying that having Schröder lead the peace talks was “not realistic”.

“We are not there yet – because Putin is not yet interested in real peace talks,” she said.

Ministers are also expected to discuss a 21st package of sanctions against Russia on Monday, with some member states calling for a complete ban on maritime services. After months of delay, the EU approved its 20th sanctions package late last month.

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