French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich…
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the efforts of European Council President Antonio Costa to establish contacts with Moscow for the settlement of the Ukraine conflict, according to Politico citing five informed diplomats and officials.
Consensus
- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized European Council President Antonio Costa's efforts to establish contacts with Russia.
- The criticism came in the context of discussions within the EU about who should lead negotiations with Russia on the Ukraine conflict.
- Costa's aide, Pedro Luriti, reportedly contacted Russian officials twice in recent weeks without informing other EU leaders.
- The issue became public after Politico reported on the matter, causing anger among other EU leaders.
Points of divergence
- Macron and Merz supported leaders of the most Russia-hostile countries, including Denmark and the Netherlands, while other EU leaders backed Costa. — interfax
- Macron and Merz believe that the time for negotiations with Putin has not yet come and that such initiatives should be led by the 'Euro trio' of France, Germany, and the UK. — kommersant
- Other EU leaders, including the Prime Minister of Belgium, supported Costa and said he should represent the EU until Russia shows willingness to dialogue. — interfax
Coverage (2 sources)
- Politico Learned About Criticism of Merkel and Macron Towards Kosyntsev for Attempts to Establish Contacts with Russia — Интерфакс
- Politico: Macron and Merkel Criticize EU Council Leadership for Contacts with Kremlin — Коммерсантъ
Key entities
- Emmanuel Macron
- Politico
- Friedrich Merz
- Antoniu Kosta
- European Council
- Moscow
- France
- Germany
- INTERFAX.RU
- Russia
- Kremlin
- Brussels
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