Will Schroeder be the "bridge" connecting Moscow and Brussels? Kremlin: EU to decide whether to hold talks before choosing representative

Speculation about who should serve as the EU's representative in potential negotiations with Russia is pointless as long as the bloc is not committed to diplomacy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Debates over resuming talks were reignited last week when Russian President Vladimir Putin said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would be a suitable EU envoy.

Brussels has rejected the idea. Media reports later mentioned outgoing German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a possible candidate. Speaking to RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Peskov called the discussions premature.

“You can read the news and list every famous name,” Peskov said. “Anyone can [take on this task]. What matters is a political decision to resume dialogue.”

Western countries have tried to isolate Russia since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. While the US has abandoned the policy under the administration of President Donald Trump, Brussels maintains its stance of not engaging diplomatically with Moscow - although fears have grown in the EU that its concerns will be sidelined if a peace deal is reached.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected the idea of ​​Schroeder acting on behalf of the bloc, calling the former German leader a Russian "lobbyist."

“Before we discuss with Russia, we need to discuss among ourselves what exactly we want to discuss with them,” Kallas said, adding that EU leaders are seeking security guarantees from Moscow. Kallas is a vocal opponent of normalizing relations with Moscow.

Putin said European governments are free to appoint any representative they want, provided the individual has not publicly defamed Russia in the past. “We were not the ones who refused talks – they were,” he added.

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