Europe weighs who should negotiate directly with Putin on Ukraine
European leaders are debating who should hold a mandate to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico reported.
European leaders are discussing who should be given a mandate to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine edges towards possible talks, Politico reported on 21 October.
Czech President Petr Pavel said Putin does not regard the European Union as an authority in negotiations and has refused direct contact with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Politico. Pavel said the EU should instead identify a person, or a small group, given a mandate by other leaders to negotiate, without necessarily representing the EU or NATO formally.
Diplomats quoted by Politico named von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Kallas as possible candidates. One diplomat said von der Leyen has experience negotiating directly with US President Donald Trump on trade, while Costa has previously opened a line of communication with the Kremlin.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has also been mentioned, diplomats said, citing his relationship with Trump and Finland's experience dealing with Russia, with which it shares a 1,300km border. One diplomat said Stubb was so far the only candidate who had shown readiness to take on the role.
A fourth diplomat quoted by Politico said European leaders asked Costa at a summit in Brussels last week whether he should speak to Putin, but Costa said he was not ready to do so yet. The diplomat argued Costa should start talking to Putin, saying von der Leyen and Kallas were seen as too closely aligned with Ukraine's side to act as a neutral broker for the EU.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Stubb and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October, Politico reported. The New York Times reported separately that Trump is pressing Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal largely on Russian terms, including giving up on retaking the .
Axios reported on 21 October that Ukraine and Russia had agreed in principle to resume technical-level talks with the United States, after US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed the format.
Follow this story
An email when there is a real update (a new toll, a cause, an arrest). Nothing else; stop with one click.
Free: one story at a time. Members follow as many stories as they like.
What we know
- European leaders are debating who should get a mandate to negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin, Politico reported.
- Czech President Petr Pavel said Putin refuses to deal directly with von der Leyen, Kallas or Macron.
- Diplomats named von der Leyen, António Costa, Kallas and Finnish President Alexander Stubb as possible candidates.
- Zelenskyy met Stubb, Norway's prime minister and US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October.
- Axios reported Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to resume technical-level talks with the US.
Why it matters for Europe
The outcome of this debate matters for Europe because any settlement over Ukraine will shape the continent's security for years, and EU leaders fear being sidelined if Washington and Moscow negotiate without them. Trump's pressure on Zelenskyy to accept a deal based on Russian terms, including dropping claims to the Donbas, has added to European concern that a deal could be struck without their input. Finland's position matters too: it shares a 1,300km border with Russia and has decades of experience negotiating with Moscow, which diplomats said makes Stubb a credible candidate to represent European interests at any future peace summit.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Kosovo Online: Politiko: Evropa traži pregovarača za direktne razgovore sa Putinom
- NV.ua: Europe seeks a negotiator-in-chief to hold direct peace talks with Putin
- Digi24: Lidera AfD vorbește despre scutul de la Deveselu și acuză NATO că nu a luat în seamă îngrijorările lui Putin: „Să impunem negocieri”
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 3 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- Who might be chosen to negotiate directly with Putin for the EU?
- Diplomats quoted by Politico have named Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa, Kaja Kallas and Finnish President Alexander Stubb as possible candidates.
- Why does Putin refuse to deal directly with some EU leaders?
- Czech President Petr Pavel said Putin does not consider the EU an authority in talks and has declined to speak directly with von der Leyen, Kallas or Macron.
- What other talks on the war are under way?
- Axios reported that Ukraine and Russia have agreed in principle to resume technical-level talks with the United States, a format proposed by US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.