Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. © Eva Manhart/picture alliance via Getty Images
The EU must enter into direct negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.
The EU and the United Kingdom broke diplomatic ties with Moscow after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
However, respective EU leaders have late called for reopening contacts with Moscow, after specified an approach effectively removed the block from the peace effort initiated by US president Donald Trump.
"I think we request channels for communication with Russia, due to the fact that without talks we will not find a solution" – said Stocker in the Sunday podcast Table.Today.
According to the Chancellor, the EU must collect "ready to effectively negociate a real peaceful solution" conflict in Ukraine.
erstwhile asked if it meant individual commitment to the talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Stocker replied in the affirmative, saying that Putin "decided".
Last week French president Emmanuel Macron said that European supporters of Ukraine are preparing for possible talks with Putin ‘at method level’.
Macron first suggested resumed diplomatic contacts with Russia at the end of last year, arguing that "recalling Vladimir Putin will become useful".
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who previously expressed scepticism towards talks with Russia, late acknowledged that the EU should "to find a balance with our biggest European neighbour."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni insisted that instead ‘accidental’ individual contacts, the EU has appointed a peculiar envoy to facilitate this process.
Stocker besides referred to his predecessor Karl Nehammer's visit to Moscow in April 2022, saying the talks were not "individual action, but alternatively part of a common European strategy".
Commenting on fresh statements by EU leaders, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Pieskov said earlier this week that Moscow had never rejected direct contact and "They can just call president Putin".
However, he added that the discussion must have a clear goal and must not turn into a PR catch in which 1 side instructs the other.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/632582-austria-stocker-eu-talks-russia/
