Europe Weighs Naming Envoy to Negotiate With Putin on Ukraine

European leaders are weighing who could negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine’s future, but the Kremlin has already floated its preferred candidate: former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime Putin ally whose ties to Moscow have made him a divisive figure in Germany.

The debate comes as US President Donald Trump pursues direct engagement with Putin, raising fears in European capitals that Washington and Moscow could shape a peace deal while leaving Ukraine’s European allies on the sidelines.

US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia this week to discuss a possible three-way summit involving Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin in an effort to advance a ceasefire. The proposal has intensified pressure on Europe to establish its own channel to the Kremlin.

“President Putin disregards the European Union as an authority,” Czech President Petr Pavel said Tuesday in an interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters’ Network.

Pavel argued that European leaders should select “a person or a group of people who would speak for Europe,” even if they did not formally represent the EU or NATO.

The challenge is finding someone who can command enough political weight to influence negotiations without compromising Europe’s position or Ukraine’s interests.

“Much as it sticks in the craw, I do think a channel of some kind to Putin would be a good thing to have,” David Lidington, a distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told Politico.

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He said such a channel might achieve little immediately but could prove useful if an opportunity for meaningful negotiations emerged.

Stubb emerges as potential candidate

Stubb has attracted attention because of his close relationship with Trump and Finland’s experience dealing with Russia. The two countries share a roughly 1,300-kilometer border.

“Stubb is of interest because of Finnish knowledge of and traditional dialogue with Russia,” one EU diplomat told Politico, pointing to Finland’s understanding of the security challenges involved in dealing with Moscow.

Another diplomat described Stubb as the only figure to have demonstrated high-level political leadership on the issue so far, suggesting he could represent Europe at a future peace summit.

Stubb joined Zelensky and Witkoff in Oslo on Oct. 20 for discussions ahead of the US envoy’s trip to Russia. Bjorn Seibert, a senior aide to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, also attended.

Diplomats disagree over whether Europe should appoint a single national leader or rely on its own institutions. Some argue that the EU must be represented directly, rather than leaving negotiations to a smaller group of powerful countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

“We cannot show up with two or three people all speaking on behalf of the EU,” one diplomat told Politico, arguing that the choice should be based on effectiveness rather than institutional rivalries.

Costa urged to open channel to Putin

Some European leaders have raised the possibility of Costa opening direct talks with Putin.

According to a diplomat cited by Politico, leaders asked Costa at a summit in Brussels last week whether he should speak to the Russian president. Costa reportedly declined for now.

The diplomat argued that refusing to establish direct communication with Moscow risked weakening Europe’s position in negotiations.

Costa has previously opened a channel to the Kremlin through his office. Von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas are also potential representatives, although some diplomats question whether they could act as intermediaries given their strong support for Ukraine.

Former UK Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, a distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said maintaining a channel to Putin could prove useful even if it produced no immediate breakthrough.

The European Commission has said the EU is already involved in preparations for potential peace talks. Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said discussions in Oslo had explored the possibility of negotiations involving Ukraine and Russia at the same table, with territory, security and Ukraine’s post-war prosperity among the issues discussed.

Putin proposes Schroeder as mediator

Putin said in May that he would “personally” prefer Schroeder, who served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, to help restart dialogue between Russia and Europe.

The proposal was met with skepticism in Berlin. German government sources told AFP that officials had “taken note” of Putin’s comments but viewed them as part of “a series of bogus offers” from Moscow.

Schroeder has remained close to Putin since leaving office and held senior positions linked to Russian energy interests, including roles involving the Nord Stream gas pipelines and Russian oil company Rosneft.

He gave up his Rosneft board position in 2022 but has never publicly condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

His potential appointment has divided Germany’s Social Democratic Party, which Schroeder belongs to.

Michael Roth, a former SPD lawmaker who chaired the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, told Tagesspiegel that a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy.”

Any candidate must first be acceptable to Ukraine, Roth said. “Neither Moscow nor we can decide that on Kyiv’s behalf.”

Other SPD politicians have been more open to the proposal. The party’s foreign affairs spokesman in parliament, Adis Ahmetovic, told Der Spiegel that it should be “carefully considered” with European partners.

Kallas says Russia must not choose EU negotiator

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 11 that Russia should not influence the EU’s choice of negotiator.

“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise,” she said.

Kallas described Schroeder as a “high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies,” arguing that Putin wanted someone who would effectively be “sitting on both sides of the table.”

She also warned that Russia was seeking to expand its influence in Europe, citing Russian participation in sports organizations and at the Venice Biennale.

“Our adversaries are not sleeping,” Kallas said.

For now, Europe has no agreed negotiator and no unified position on when direct talks should begin.