Bloomberg: EU Council president seeks contact with Kremlin

European Council President António Costa has reportedly made contact with the Kremlin in an attempt to open channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ways to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The source said Costa’s chief adviser has held two phone calls with a senior Russian official close to Putin, aimed at laying the groundwork for potential future talks.

A spokesperson for Costa declined to comment, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request for comment.

Costa previously made it clear that they need, at the right moment, to have talks with Russia to address the common issues on security.

According to officials, several EU countries have floated the idea of appointing a special envoy to engage Moscow as part of broader efforts to position the bloc in future peace negotiations.

However, the proposal remains controversial, with concerns over legitimacy and political risks.

Separately, Germany, France and the UK have discussed coordinating a strategy for eventual engagement with Putin alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

European officials say the aim is to prepare for a possible shift in the conflict as battlefield dynamics evolve and economic pressure on Russia increases.

Diplomatic ties between the EU and Russia have been largely frozen since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with only limited contacts maintained since then.

While discussions about reopening dialogue have long been politically sensitive within the EU, recent US-led peace initiatives have added pressure on European governments to ensure they are not excluded from any eventual settlement process.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov