EU Mulls Draghi or Merkel as Envoy to Putin Amid Peace Talk Hopes

As calls for the European Union to restart formal communication channels with Russia grow, EU member states are discussing whether former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi or former German Chancellor Angela Merkel could represent Europe in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to sources familiar with the matter, EU foreign ministers will discuss the pros and cons of these potential candidates during their meeting in Cyprus next week, with both the United States and Ukraine expressing support for such a move.

Three individuals with knowledge of the matter revealed that the Trump administration is currently focused on the Middle East conflict and, therefore, does not oppose parallel dialogue between Europe and Russian President Putin, even as the US leads the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stated recently that "all parties agree that Europe must participate in the relevant negotiation work."

High-ranking Ukrainian officials have indicated that Zelenskyy hopes for a European negotiation with Russia to be led by "someone like Draghi" or "a strong current (national) leader."

Fearing marginalization in US-Ukraine peace talks, the EU urgently seeks a common special envoy.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU promptly closed its formal communication channels with Moscow, with only some EU leaders occasionally attempting contact. However, with limited progress in the US-led Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, the EU is concerned about its own marginalization and the potential for being forced to accept agreements detrimental to European interests.

This underlying concern has fueled growing calls for the EU to appoint a common special envoy. Sources indicate that in addition to Draghi and Merkel, there are also discussions about Finnish President Alexander Stubb and former President Sauli Niinistö.

Draghi's spokesperson declined to comment. Merkel's office has not yet responded to the Financial Times' request for comment.

A senior EU official stated that while Niinistö "is one of the few Europeans who can maintain a working relationship with Putin... Russia is currently very displeased with Finland." The Nordic country abandoned its policy of neutrality and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

The official further added, "I think a suitable candidate should come from a country like the Netherlands or Portugal, which does not have the baggage of (Eastern European countries)."

Putin names old friend Schroder, but is rejected; EU mocked for only shouting slogans.

Putin has previously expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with European representatives, provided that the nominated envoy "has not said anything malicious about Russia." He even named his old friend, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Merkel's predecessor. However, his preferred candidate has been decisively rejected by Europe, the US, and Ukraine.

Sources say the Russian side has conveyed that they would be more willing to engage in dialogue if Europe's response were more "constructive."

However, some reports suggest that Europe "still hasn't mentioned anything of value, only saying slogans like 'We support a fair peace for Ukraine.'"