European Union leaders have been unable to agree on setting up a back-channel with Moscow to protect the bloc's interests should progress emerge in negotiations to end Russia's war on Ukraine, some leaders said Friday at the close of their two-day summit in Brussels.
European Council President António Costa, who chaired the gathering, directed his office to reach out to the Kremlin and proposed a senior official to make contact. Costa emphasized that his aim was not to mediate or establish a parallel negotiating track separate from efforts led by the United States, which have shown little progress.
What the Left Is Saying
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin expressed support for opening communications with Moscow. "Opening up a channel is not a mistake in our view, and I trust António Costa," he told reporters. He noted that while any negotiations would need to be between Ukraine and Russia first, there are currently no indications that Russia is willing to engage. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever joked with Costa as leaders departed, saying the European Council president "is the only one who can represent us" and suggesting he should serve as envoy to Moscow.
What the Right Is Saying
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš offered a sharply different assessment of the summit outcome. "Europe is unable to agree even on whether there will be negotiations or who will lead them," he said, noting that leaders failed to resolve their differences overnight. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, whose nation has faced drone incursions and was once occupied by the Soviet Union, argued that Europe must not assume the role of a neutral mediator. "Europe must not assume the role of a neutral mediator" and should instead bolster Ukraine's position to force Moscow into serious negotiations, he said.
What the Numbers Show
The EU consists of 27 member states, all of which would need to reach consensus on any formal negotiating framework with Russia. The so-called E3 group comprising Germany, France, and Britain has emerged as a key coordinating format for European diplomacy, though this excludes other EU members. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that the E3 format came about "at the explicit wish of Ukraine." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in an essay released by Moscow's Foreign Ministry that "a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia could rapidly escalate into the exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences."
The Bottom Line
The disagreement highlights deeper divisions within Europe over how to approach potential peace negotiations. While some leaders view a back-channel as pragmatic diplomacy, others worry it could undermine Ukraine's position or legitimize Russian demands. German Chancellor Merz stressed that any peace talks must ultimately include Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States, suggesting that European unity on this question remains elusive despite shared goals of ending the war.