EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, May 11, that it would be “not very wise” to allow Russia to influence who negotiates on behalf of the European Union.
According to remarks published by the Diplomatic Service of the European Union, Kallas made the comments in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers when asked about former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder potentially serving as a negotiator.
“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise,” Kallas said.
Kallas described Schröder as a “high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies.”
“So, it is clear why Putin wants him to be the person, so that, actually, he would be sitting on both sides of the table,” she said.
Schröder has long faced criticism in Europe over his work with Russian energy companies and his close relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“Well, clearly our adversaries are not sleeping,” Kallas said. “They want to increase the influence in Europe. We already see this in sports organizations where Russians are allowed to compete like nothing has happened, and we also saw this at the Venice Biennale. They are working all the time, and we have to be vigilant as well.”
She also said the EU is not yet ready for direct talks with Russia because member states first need to coordinate a common position.
According to her, EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the issue further at a meeting later in May as the bloc works to define its approach before any potential negotiations with Moscow.
Earlier, European Council President António Costa said, that the EU sees “potential” for future negotiations with Putin. He added that the bloc is preparing for possible talks and has the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Yes, it’s a possibility [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.”
On May 9, Costa said the EU will only talk to Putin at the “right moment.”
“There will be a moment when the EU will need to speak to Russia because it’s an existential issue for Europe. Now it’s not the time,” he explained.
Meanwhile on May 11, Zelensky said Putin “has declared his readiness for real negotiations”.
“Now Putin himself says that he is finally ready for real meetings. We pushed him a little, and we have been preparing for meetings for a long time, so we need to find a format. We need to end this war, reliably guarantee security,” Zelensky said.