Estonian President Alar Karis and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina believe that Europe should participate in negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. They want Europe to send its representative for this purpose.
Silina and Karis said that any communication with Russia should take place in coordination with Ukraine. They want the European representative to be a jointly agreed-upon figure. Silina said: "We need to talk to Russia, but at the same time, we must maintain sanctions and isolation."
Karis added that Europe should be more prominent in the negotiations. He said: "We have supported Ukraine for many years. We should also be a significant part of the negotiations."
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna disagreed with this. He sharply stated that negotiations with Russia would weaken the positions of Europe and Ukraine. He added: "Russia has not shown that it wants to end the war. We should not offer them a spotlight."
Tsahkna believes that such an approach would give Russia the opportunity to portray the West as weak. It would divide European allies and be dangerous.
Former Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet supported Tsahkna's position. He said that the European Union already has enough channels to communicate with Russia. Additionally, Europe does not have to follow the US example in every matter.
Currently, it is unclear whether Europe will reach a consensus on how to deal with Russia. Some countries want to engage, while others disagree.