Politico: EU Weighs Envoy for Possible Putin Talks, Stubb Among Names
The European Union has not yet decided who would represent it in possible talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to Politico, one of the names European diplomats are discussing is Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Pravda reported.
The search for an EU representative became especially pressing this week after US special envoy Steve Witkoff visited Russia, where he proposed a trilateral summit with Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at securing a ceasefire.
“President Putin does not recognise the European Union as an authority. He does not want to talk to Ursula von der Leyen, he does not talk to Kaja Kallas. He has stopped communicating with other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron,” said Czech President Petr Pavel. He added that the EU should designate a person or group to speak on Europe’s behalf — not necessarily EU or NATO officials, but leaders to whom others give a mandate to negotiate.
Who could speak for Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen negotiated directly with Trump on trade, while European Council President António Costa has previously established a channel of communication with the Kremlin through his office. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is another potential figure who defends Europe’s interests as a whole.
“We cannot show up with two or three people who all speak for the EU. The choice of who ultimately represents the EU will be based on what brings the most benefit, not on personal power struggles or narcissistic preferences,” an EU diplomat told Politico on condition of anonymity.
One name outside the EU’s own structures that is attracting attention, Politico says, is Stubb. Two key factors speak in his favour: he arguably has the best relationship with Trump among EU leaders, and Finland has long experience dealing with Russia, with which it shares a 1,300-kilometre border and against which it has fought in the past. “Stubb is of interest thanks to the Finnish experience and traditional dialogue with Russia. They know better than anyone on our side what it takes to feel safe in such a situation,” a source told the outlet. Another EU diplomat said Stubb was the only person who had shown high-level political leadership and could act as European envoy at an eventual peace summit.
Background
On October 21, Witkoff said after his meetings with Zelensky and Putin that discussions on ending the Russia-Ukraine war would continue in a trilateral format at the technical level, and media reported that both the Ukrainian and Russian sides agreed to resume trilateral talks with US participation. We covered it in Putin Tells Witkoff Russia Ready to Resume Trilateral Talks in November.