The EU has had "brief" diplomatic contacts with the Kremlin

Europe – The office of European Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday that the EU has conducted "brief" diplomatic contacts with the Kremlin to open communication channels. Meanwhile, Europe is discussing whether to engage in dialogue with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.

According to AFP, an unnamed EU official stated: "Over the past few weeks, there have been brief diplomatic contacts between both sides aimed at opening communication channels, but no substantive issues were discussed."

EU officials said: "In any future scenario, the EU has specific interests that need to be safeguarded, making it crucial to establish diplomatic channels with Russia."

With U.S. efforts to halt the war in Ukraine stalling, and U.S. President Trump's attention diverted by the Iran issue, calls for Europe to re-engage with Moscow are growing louder.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will attend a summit in Brussels on Thursday alongside EU leaders, where he has consistently urged Europe to play a more active role.

EU officials emphasized: "The EU is not a mediator. It supports Ukraine’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace."

European Council President Costa, who is chairing the EU leaders' meeting, "has been closely coordinating with European leaders to explore possibilities of engaging with Russia and identifying topics to discuss at an appropriate time."

Last week, ambassadors from the UK, France, and Germany to Russia held a rare meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry, urging Moscow and Kyiv to hold direct talks.

On Tuesday, at the G7 summit held in France, Trump stated that Moscow should "reach an agreement" to end its war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy also attended this summit.

Zelenskyy said that Putin declined an invitation to meet during the G7 summit, but he suggested that Trump could meet with Putin in the United States instead.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1868293295724739/

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