EU's Secret Russia Talks Spark Fury Among Member States

BRUSSELS — The EU’s communication with the Kremlin has provoked a furious backlash among some European governments, which complained they weren’t informed.

European Council President António Costa’s chief of staff, Pedro Lourtie, twice over the past few weeks contacted officials in Moscow as the EU looked for ways to restart negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. With U.S.-led attempts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine appearing deadlocked, European capitals have been divided over how much to prioritize diplomacy over helping Ukraine to win on the battlefield.

As a summit of EU leaders got under way in Brussels on Thursday evening, it became clear that many governments were unaware of the initiative. Some said they opposed it happening at all, according to five diplomats with knowledge of the discussions. The disagreement risked overshadowing a gathering that began on a positive note with leaders buoyed by the signing of a provisional U.S.-Iran peace deal earlier in the week.

The Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — in particular were “furious” about the Russia outreach, according to a European diplomat working on the issue. Several leaders learned about the calls only after they appeared in media reports and were angry about it, a further three diplomats said. The all spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

The Costa team did inform Germany, France and the U.K. — known as the E3 — and the European Commission before the calls took place, one of the diplomats said. Two other diplomats, however, said Berlin had not been pre-warned.

Justification

Portuguese Lourtie, who has a reputation in Brussels as something of a dealmaker, addressed ambassadors from the EU’s 27 governments on Wednesday when news of the calls, first reported by Bloomberg, became public. While complaining that they had been leaked to the media, he justified them by saying they followed a direct request by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Europe to get involved in the peace negotiations, according to another EU diplomat with knowledge of the meeting.

Lourtie didn’t confirm whether any further calls will take place but pledged to inform ambassadors if so, the diplomat said.

The calls were with Putin’s national security adviser, Lourtie told the ambassadors, according to three of the diplomats.

Russia doesn’t have a national security adviser, though Sergei Shoigu serves as the secretary of the Security Council, Yuri Ushakov is President Vladimir Putin’s chief foreign-policy aide and Nikolai Patrushev serves as his senior strategic adviser with significant influence over security policy.

Who speaks for Europe?

The disagreement also reflects wider tensions across the EU. Officials within the European Council and Commission have argued that any future contacts with Moscow should be conducted by an EU institution capable of representing all 27 member countries rather than by individual national leaders pursuing separate initiatives.

The E3 format of Germany, France and the U.K. is pushing to lead negotiations in any future talks, telling other EU partners that they have already agreed this approach with Zelenskyy during a meeting in London earlier this month.

“We need a format that is capable of taking action,” said a senior German official, adding that such a format would get its “legitimacy” from “involving the other European partners as closely and as trustingly as possible” as well as coordinating closely with Kyiv and Washington.

Poland and Italy have also pushed for a role in the talks. Merz is hosting France’s Emmanuel Macron, the United Kingdom’s Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Poland’s Donald Tusk in Berlin next Wednesday, discussions that diplomats say will likely include the question of dialog with Russia.

The dispute underscores the challenge facing EU leaders as they seek to position the bloc in any future peace process involving Ukraine. While all governments agree that Europe should ultimately have a seat at the table, there is less agreement on how to get there — and who should be speaking on their behalf.

Gabriel Gavin contributed reporting.