Finnish official: EU decision on Russia-Ukraine negotiator likely to take time

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the process of defining Europe’s role in negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war — including the selection of a potential EU negotiator — is expected to be lengthy and require broad political consensus.

Speaking at a media briefing ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cyprus, Valtonen responded to questions about whether Finnish President Alexander Stubb could serve as Europe’s representative in possible talks with Russia, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

“Stubb is, of course, a very professional candidate for talking to many people, including Putin,” Valtonen said. “But at this stage, the main question is not who will represent Europe, but what the process for ending the war will look like, and what Europe’s role in it will be.”

She added that any individual representing Europe would need “a broad mandate,” suggesting that reaching agreement among EU member states could take considerable time.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also addressed the issue, warning that the European Union should avoid “falling into Russia’s trap” during discussions over a potential negotiator. According to Kallas, Moscow would likely support a candidate aligned with its own interests.

By Sabina Mammadli