Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Thursday that Europe cannot combine its strong backing for Ukraine with a neutral mediator role in future peace talks, as EU foreign ministers met informally in Lemesos, Cyprus.
Eide said Europe cannot cast itself as an intermediary in talks to end the war, while at the same time providing military and political backing to Ukraine. He suggested that any mediation role should be taken on by actors able to maintain more distance from the conflict, as per The Telegraph.
“Europe cannot serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia in negotiations to end the war, because it is on Ukraine’s side”, Eide said, adding that Europe should have a voice in these discussions, rather than be a direct mediator.
Kallas: EU will not be a neutral mediator
The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas delivered a similar message in recent comments on possible talks with Moscow, warning that direct dialogue with Russia risks weakening Europe’s leverage.
Kallas has also argued that before any outreach to Russia, EU countries must first agree among themselves about which questions they want to raise with Moscow and what their red lines are – including issues such as reparations, the return of abducted Ukrainian children, and the withdrawal of Russian troops from other occupied territories.
Estonian foreign minister on what the Kremlin leader might fear
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia might be afraid of further Western measures and is trying to involve Europe in negotiations.
He told Ukrainian media there is “one painful thing that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is afraid of” – the prospect of tougher restrictions that would limit Russia’s ability to continue the war, including tighter sanctions from the EU.
Tsahkna warned that if Europe drifts into a mediator role, the political momentum for such measures could fade.
Schroeder, Merkel rejected
The debate over Europe’s role comes as EU governments discuss possible high-profile envoys for any future contact with the Kremlin.
According to The Telegraph, some officials have floated former German chancellor Angela Merkel and former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi as potential figures who could represent Europe in contacts with Moscow.
Meanwhile, Putin has suggested former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to take part in future discussions, an idea the EU ministers have already dismissed, citing Schroeder’s close ties to Russian state energy companies.
Norway, which is not an EU member but a close partner, has repeatedly said its role was to “support Ukraine, not to be a mediator”, reinforcing a growing view in both Nordic and Baltic capitals that Europe should concentrate on military aid and sanctions, leaving any formal mediation to others.