Christian Stocker has echoed several other EU leaders who fear isolation from US-mediated Ukraine peace initiatives<\/p>\n
The EU has to engage in direct negotiations with Russia to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has said.
\nThe EU and UK cut diplomatic communication with Moscow following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. However, several EU leaders have recently called for renewed engagement with Moscow after this approach left the bloc effectively sidelined from peace efforts initiated by US President Donald Trump.
\n\u201cI think that we need channels to Russia because without talks we will not find a solution,\u201d\u00a0Stocker said on the Table.Today\u00a0Podcast on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Kremlin comments on EU \u2018myopia\u2019 over dialogue with Russia<\/p>\n
According to the chancellor, the EU needs to muster the \u201creadiness to actually negotiate a viable peace solution\u201d to the Ukraine conflict. Asked whether this means engaging with Russian President Vladimir Putin personally, Stocker replied in the affirmative, saying Putin is the one who \u201cdecides.\u201d
\nLast week, French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine\u2019s European backers were preparing for possible talks with Putin \u201cat the technical level.\u201d Macron first suggested re-engaging with Russia diplomatically late last year, arguing that \u201cit will become useful again to speak with Vladimir Putin.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Most Germans want dialogue with Russia \u2013 poll<\/p>\n
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who previously expressed skepticism regarding talks with Russia, has recently acknowledged that the EU should \u201cfind a balance again with our largest European neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Rubio skips Ukraine backers\u2019 gathering in Munich<\/p>\n
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has insisted that instead of \u201chaphazard\u201d individual contact, the EU should appoint a special envoy to facilitate the process. Stocker similarly referred to his predecessor Karl Nehammer\u2019s visit to Moscow in April 2022, saying the talks were \u201cnot a solo action, but rather part of a joint European strategy.\u201d
\nCommenting on recent statements by EU leaders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Moscow has never rejected direct contact and \u201cthey can just call President Putin.\u201d However, the discussion must have a clear purpose\u00a0and not devolve into a PR stunt with one side lecturing the other, he stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christian Stocker has echoed several other EU leaders who fear isolation from US-mediated Ukraine peace initiatives The EU has to engage in direct negotiations with Russia to resolve the Ukraine…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29103,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t