EU opens diplomatic channel to Moscow as Ukraine pushes for European peace role
The European Council’s office has held brief telephone contacts with the Kremlin in recent weeks to open a communication channel, as Brussels positions itself for potential peace negotiations over Ukraine.
Opening a channel
In recent weeks, the office of European Council President António Costa has conducted brief telephone contacts with the Kremlin, opening a communication channel on the war in Ukraine. Pedro Lourtie, Costa’s chief of staff, held calls with a senior official close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to people briefed on the discussions. The contacts were first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed to several outlets by a senior EU official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In the past few weeks, brief contacts were made to open communication channels but nothing was discussed on substance.
The official stressed that the EU has specific interests that must be defended in any future scenario and that it is not acting as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. Costa has been coordinating closely with the 27 member state leaders on potential engagement with Russia and topics to discuss when the moment is right.
Zelenskyy pushes for a European role
The diplomatic outreach follows a sustained push by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the EU to take a more active role in peace negotiations. At an informal gathering of EU leaders in Cyprus last month, Zelenskyy argued that the bloc should step forward as the United States has effectively stepped back from the process. He is expected to reiterate that call at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.
Zelenskyy invited Europe to take a more active role in creating the conditions to facilitate peace negotiations.
His foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has also said the EU should join talks alongside the United States.
Russia’s signals
The Kremlin earlier signalled an openness to EU dialogue. On May 27, during a state visit to Kazakhstan, President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
Russia and President Putin are open to negotiations with the EU, but the Europeans are only now starting to prepare.
Subsequently, in early June, the French, British and German ambassadors met with Russia’s deputy foreign minister in Moscow. Those contacts, however, were not backed by a concerted EU effort.
Broader diplomatic context
The US had led several rounds of negotiations to end the war, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner due to visit Russia soon. But the process has stalled as President Donald Trump shifted focus to the conflict with Iran. This week, at a G7 meeting in Evian, Trump indicated the US could step up support for Ukraine and increase sanctions pressure on Russia, including restoring some oil sanctions previously suspended.
The EU’s move to open its own channel marks a cautious re-engagement with Moscow after years of frozen contacts following the 2022 full-scale invasion. The EU official made clear that any future talks would be conducted in support of Ukraine’s pursuit of a just and lasting peace.
