NATO Monitoring Developments as Europe and Russia Resume Communication

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on Thursday that the alliance is closely monitoring ongoing discussions following reports that the European Council and Russia have begun to re-establish communication. “Clearly, discussions are taking place within the European Union regarding the possible resumption of diplomatic relations with Russia. I fully respect that and I understand why these discussions are still ongoing,” Rutte said ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. “This is a discussion at the European level, in which NATO is not involved. However, of course, I continue to monitor this closely. We regularly exchange information, and this is purely a European-level discussion. As a NATO representative, I should not comment,” Rutte added. In June, European Council President Antonio Costa said he was discussing with EU leaders preparations for negotiations with Russia when the time is deemed right. The newspaper Politico reported on Wednesday, citing an EU official, that the EU had established contact with the Kremlin in recent weeks. The contact was brief and did not concern substantive matters, but demonstrated that the bloc has interests that need to be maintained, the official said.