Italy calls on EU to urgently appoint negotiator on Ukraine after Putin call

Italy’s government said on Tuesday, October 27, that the European Union needs to determine as soon as possible who will represent it at peace negotiations on Ukraine.

This was reported by ANSA, citing sources in Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister’s residence.

According to the sources, EU countries “cannot afford” to act separately. These statements came several hours after Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sources in Palazzo Chigi indicated that this conversation showed the need “to determine as soon as possible, on the basis of consensus, one or more people with a clear mandate who will speak on behalf of Europe.” They warned that “the negotiations will not wait” and that Europe “cannot continue to act in a fragmented way, using formats that change from week to week,” otherwise it risks losing influence over the process.

The sources also noted that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has “great respect” for both northern leaders.

Stubb and Støre made the call together from Helsinki. A joint statement said the call was a continuation of the meeting in Oslo on October 20, was held in consultation with Ukraine and was linked to the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi. It also said that both leaders “were not speaking on behalf of all of Europe,” the Norwegian government reported.

Stubb told journalists that the conversation lasted about an hour and a half, and said that ending the war “cannot be achieved through silence,” Yle reported. Negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States are expected in Abu Dhabi in early November.

The Kremlin reported that Putin told both leaders that a lasting peace is possible only if Russia’s “legitimate interests” are fully taken into account. He also criticized the “confrontational policy” of EU and NATO countries, the Irish Times writes. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told DR television that she views this call “very skeptically” and that it was not coordinated with other European partners, DPA reports.

Since the summer, the EU has been discussing whether to appoint a representative for direct negotiations with Moscow, the Irish Times notes. On Friday, The Daily Telegraph, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Meloni is on a shortlist of five possible negotiators. The other four are Stubb, Støre, Frederiksen and Czech President Petr Pavel, ANSA reports. Støre’s inclusion on the list draws attention because Norway is not an EU member, Adnkronos notes.

Moscow has signaled that it is prepared to permit European participation to a certain extent. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on October 25 that Europe should be involved in the negotiations, Adnkronos reported.

In April, Russia proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a longtime friend of Putin, as a mediator. Rome’s position remains the same as the one voiced on Tuesday: Europe “must decide who represents it, and it must do so quickly.”