The key facts
- No single EU negotiator with Russia has been chosen, although it has been discussed since the summer
- The call between Stubb and Støre with Putin caused discontent in Denmark and Sweden
- No politician yet has the authority to speak on behalf of all 27 EU countries
Chaos instead of a unified line
European countries' attempts to choose a single negotiator for contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin have ended in disagreement: leaders are increasingly trying to establish dialogue with Moscow on their own, without coordinating their actions with allies. This is reported by The Guardian, citing a senior European diplomat. 'In general, there is an understanding that we need to talk to Putin. But attempts to establish contact are starting to resemble some kind of chaos. Too many leaders believe that they are the ones who can bring Putin to the negotiating table,' the publication's source admitted.
A phone call that set allies against each other
An example of the disagreement was the recent phone conversation between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with the Russian leader. The conversation lasted about an hour and a half, but caused discontent among neighboring states: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the initiative for the lack of coordination with Copenhagen, while Swedish head of government Ulf Kristersson complained that he had not been warned in advance.
Why there is still no mandate
Discussion of a common representative for negotiations with Russia has been going on since the summer, but no candidate has been agreed upon. The situation is complicated by fears that the upcoming talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi may take place without the full participation of European states. There is also no unified approach within Europe: France advocates maintaining direct channels of communication, Germany and the UK are more cautious about such an initiative, while the Baltic states fear that resuming dialogue will weaken pressure on Moscow without reciprocal concessions.
Who could theoretically speak on behalf of the EU
To date, no politician has the authority to negotiate on behalf of all 27 EU member states. In theory, the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas could take on this role, but for that she would need a separate mandate from the member states. Earlier, Life.ru reported that Vladimir Putin welcomed any steps by the European Union to restore full-fledged relations with Moscow and emphasized his readiness to develop contacts both with the EU as a whole and with individual European states. In addition, according to Life.ru, negotiators from Europe on Ukraine are not yet being considered.
