Estonia joked that “a TV show could be made” about the choice of the EU negotiator in negotiations with Russia

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal joked that "a TV show could be made" about the leadersʼ disputes over the choice of a negotiator for the European Union in talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Politico writes about this.

There are at least three camps. The first is for Antonio Costa to be president of the European Council. His candidacy is supported by Estonia, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland. Supporters believe that the position gives him a mandate to represent all EU leaders.

At the same time, France and Germany do not want to give up their seats to Brussels. Paris has a special weight in the negotiations: France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the only EU country with a nuclear arsenal. Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists on a format with the participation of Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Poland.

The EUʼs top diplomat Kaja Kallas has the fewest supporters. Her tough stance on Russia could make her unacceptable to the Kremlin. At the same time, other diplomats see this as an advantage: Putin does not have to choose who he is comfortable negotiating with.

Against this background, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe not to delay: it is necessary to decide on a representative for negotiations in November.

The search for a negotiator from Russia on behalf of Europe

In January, Politico, citing sources, reported that EU members wanted to appoint a negotiator with Putin on Ukraine because Washington could make a secret deal with Moscow without taking Europeʼs position into account. Back then, Stubb was considered a potential candidate for the role.

Later, on May 9, Putin stated that the best candidate for the role of negotiator with Russia on behalf of the European Union would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who held the position from 1998 to 2005.

Soon, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas stated that Schröder had no right to represent Europeʼs interests in the negotiations because he promoted the interests of Russian state-owned companies.

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