EU divided over negotiations with Russia, media reports

The issue of negotiations with Russia has split European Union leaders into two camps, Politico reported on Friday, citing diplomatic sources. Earlier in June, European Council President Antonio Costa said he was discussing preparations for negotiations with Russia with EU leaders for an appropriate time in the future. Politico reported, citing an EU official, that the bloc has been in contact with the Kremlin in recent weeks. The contact was brief and did not concern “substance,” but showed that the bloc has interests that “need to be maintained,” the official said. An EU summit is underway in Brussels on 18-19 June. The issue of negotiations was discussed by the leaders on Thursday evening without staff or mobile phones, according to the report. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opposed contacts with Russia in this format, the report added. According to the newspaper, their position is that now is not the right time to communicate with the Kremlin, and when the time comes, the initiative should be taken by the E3 group of countries — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, a “significant number” of other leaders took the opposite stance, supporting Costa, one source revealed. Earlier on Tuesday, Politico reported that EU officials were wary of follow-up visits by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow, as it signals a desire by US authorities to negotiate with Russia over Ukraine without involving the EU. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia is ready to start negotiations with Europe, but is in no hurry to do so.