European Council President António Costa said on Friday, May 8, that the European Union sees “potential” for future negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Costa said the bloc is preparing for possible talks and has the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Yes, it’s a potential [to negotiate with Putin],” Costa said. “[But] for the time being, nobody has seen any sign from Russia that they want effectively to engage in serious negotiations.”
EU explores role in negotiations
Costa said he is consulting with leaders of all 27 EU member states to determine how the bloc could organize itself for potential talks with Russia.
“I’m talking with the 27 national leaders to see the best way to organize ourselves and to identify what we need effectively to discuss with Russia,” he said.
He added that Zelensky had encouraged the EU to be ready to contribute to future negotiations.
The comments come amid growing concern in European capitals that US-led negotiations have made little progress, raising fears that the EU could be sidelined in any potential deal.
Despite this, Costa said the EU would avoid interfering with the process led by US President Donald Trump.
Costa stressed that there is currently no indication that Russia is willing to engage with the EU.
“There is no signal from Russia that they want to engage in serious negotiations,” he said.