Europe Divided Over Russia Contacts: Germany, France 'Infuriated' by EU's Secret Communication

Some European countries are pushing back after it was revealed that aides to European Council President António Costa made behind-the-scenes diplomatic contacts with an eye toward future peace negotiations with Russia.

Politico reported that at the EU summit held in Brussels, Belgium, on June 18 (local time), several countries, including the EU's "two engines" Germany and France, strongly criticized the attempts by Costa's camp, exposing internal divisions.

According to EU diplomats and officials familiar with the matter, during the meeting that ran late into the night past its scheduled time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron publicly expressed their displeasure that the European Council President, who represents the 27 EU member states, attempted to secretly contact Russia without prior explanation or notification to the member states.

According to the dpa news agency, a German government official, speaking after the summit, described the move by Costa's camp as unprofessional and uncoordinated with member states, even calling it "insulting."

Politico reported that some national leaders gathered at the summit were furious when it was first revealed in a Bloomberg News report on June 17 that Pedro Lourtie, a close aide and chief of staff to President Costa, had contacted Kremlin officials in recent weeks.

This was because they deemed it inappropriate to engage in secret diplomatic contacts without a mandate from member states, as well as failing to share the details with them afterward.

Following the media reports, Costa's office explained, "Over the past few weeks, the Office of the President of the European Council, led by António Costa, made brief contacts aimed at opening a channel of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin," adding, "No substantive discussions took place."

An official from Costa's office justified the attempt, emphasizing that establishing diplomatic channels with Russia is important to protect the EU's interests in preparation for future peace agreements.

However, Chancellor Merz and President Macron reportedly made it clear during the meeting that now is not the right time to start a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also emphasized that even if a time comes when Russia and Europe must sit down directly, negotiations should be led by the so-called E3—Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—rather than the EU leadership.

Politico reported that opinions were split at the summit; while Denmark, the Netherlands, and the strongly anti-Russian Baltic states supported the stance of Germany and France, a number of countries, including Spain, Belgium, and Austria, reacted positively to establishing a communication channel with Russia at the EU level.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal expressed skepticism about the attempt by Costa's camp, saying, "History clearly warns us of the consequences of trying to establish separate negotiation frameworks with dictators," and adding, "The EU cannot play the role of a mediator in such negotiations."

Conversely, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez showed a contrasting reaction, saying, "I am ready to support any attempt that can be made to achieve peace and end the war in Ukraine."

Politico pointed out that this incident illustrates Europe's dilemma over when, how, and who should engage in direct negotiations with Russia to end the war.

With U.S.-led efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine deadlocked, opinions in Europe are divided over whether Europe—which severed ties with Russia after the war broke out in February 2022—should restore diplomacy and engage in direct talks with Russia, or focus on supporting Ukraine so it can gain the upper hand on the battlefield.

There is also a lack of consensus on who should act as the negotiating representative and how the dialogue should be approached if direct talks with Russia were to take place.

Meanwhile, at this meeting—the first held since former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had consistently clashed with EU policies, fell from power after 16 years—a joint statement supporting Ukraine was unanimously adopted for the first time in over a year.

Additionally, they agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia by 12 months, rather than the previous six-month extension.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also invited to the meeting, where he briefed leaders on the recent situation on the battlefield and appealed for support for Ukraine's swift accession to the EU.

On the first day of the meeting, EU leaders discussed pressing issues such as peace negotiations with Russia, support for Ukraine, measures to strengthen the EU's competitiveness, and addressing the trade imbalance with China. On June 19, they put their heads together to discuss how to set the EU budget for 2028–2034.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.