Norway says Europe should take part in Ukraine talks but not act as mediator

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has said that Europe should be involved in negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine, but should not act as a mediator.

His position contrasts with that of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has described direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “trap,” according to POLITICO.

“I think having a European voice at the metaphorical table is right,” Eide said after meeting Kallas. “My view is that Europe has its own real interests, which in some cases overlap with Ukraine’s interests, but also go beyond them.”

Eide, who was in Brussels on Wednesday, May 27, for a meeting of the European Economic Area Council, noted that some issues raised in earlier US-led negotiations concern areas where only Europe can make decisions — such as sanctions relief or Ukraine’s path toward EU membership.

“So there should be a European voice,” he argued.

However, the Norwegian diplomat, who has been involved in Middle East peace efforts, emphasised that there is a major difference between Europe sending representatives to defend its interests at the table and the EU acting as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

“I think there’s some confusion… Mediation means that somebody, ideally more impartial to the conflict, is trying to look for common ground,” he said. “Europeans and, in my view, also Americans should … clearly be on the supporting side for Ukraine.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada