‘We are not there yet’: EU on talks with Putin despite calls from France and Italy – Firstpost

Despite recent calls from France and Italy for Europe to re-engage with Moscow, the European Union on Monday remarked that conditions were not yet suitable for high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

“At some point there will have to be talks, also with President Putin, and in the meantime, a lot of work is being done. Unfortunately, we’re not seeing any signs by President Putin to be engaging,” AFP quoted EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho as saying.

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“We are not there yet, but at some point, we would hope indeed that there will be some such talks that will finally lead to peace in Ukraine,” she added.

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had mentioned on Friday that “the time has come” for the EU to resume high-level dialogue with Russia, suggesting that a special envoy could be appointed for talks on Ukraine.

The statement followed comments from French President Emmanuel Macron in December, who stated Europe should find a “framework” for outreach to the Kremlin in the “coming weeks.”

The calls from the two EU leaders come as Europe seeks to increase its influence over US-led efforts, spearheaded by President Donald Trump, to end the war.

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Trump has spoken repeatedly with Putin, while US negotiators have held multiple rounds of talks with Russian counterparts.

Meanwhile, Europe and Ukraine are working on a novel peace proposal in coordination with the United States that would be more acceptable to Kyiv.

Any attempt by the EU to engage directly with Putin is expected to face resistance from hawkish countries along the bloc’s eastern border, which remain deeply wary of re-engaging with Russia.

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With inputs from agencies

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