Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Europe should have a seat at the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine, but it should not play the role of mediator, writes Politico.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cyprus to discuss the possible appointment of a special envoy, Eide said Europeans need a negotiator to talk about the parts of the peace deal that directly affect the bloc’s interests. After a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, Eide said it was right for Europe to have a voice at the negotiating table, and that Europe has real interests that in some places coincide with Ukraine’s interests, but also go beyond them.
The Norwegian’s comments contradicted Kallas’s claim that appointing a special envoy for talks with Russia was a trap, adding that the EU should instead define its own strategy towards Moscow and focus on the bloc’s core interests. Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder would be a good envoy, she said it was a trap Russia wanted to lure Europeans into, and that it was already selecting individuals who would be favorable to Moscow.
Eide was in Brussels on the 27th of May to attend a meeting of the European Economic Area Council. He stressed that some of the issues raised during the previous US-led talks were ones that only Europe could decide, such as easing sanctions or Kiev’s path to EU membership. Consequently, Europe’s voice should also be heard in the talks.
However, the Norwegian politician stressed that
there is a huge difference between Europe sending someone to represent its interests and Brussels trying to mediate
between Russia and Ukraine. “I think there’s some confusion… Mediation means that somebody, ideally more impartial to the conflict, is trying to look for common ground. Europeans and, in my view, also Americans should … clearly be on the supporting side for Ukraine.”
Talk of a possible EU special envoy for talks with Russia is heating up, and the US has pulled out of Russia-Ukraine talks to resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Meanwhile, both Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have supported the idea of Europeans in peace talks, although their views on the potential envoy differ radically. After Putin proposed Schröder’s candidacy, Ukraine’s foreign minister ridiculed the idea, suggesting that the Kremlin-friendly French actor Gérard Depardieu or former American action star Steven Seagal could just as easily participate in the talks.
In the run-up to the meeting in Cyprus, European foreign ministers have expressed sharply different views on whether Europe should engage in direct talks with Russia. Belgium believes the opportunity should be seized, while both Paris and Berlin have expressed caution about direct talks. The Baltic states are the most vocal against talks with Russia, echoing Kallas’s words about a Russian trap.
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