EU Leaders Blast Costa Putin Talks

Описание: #microkapital
A major diplomatic firestorm erupted in Brussels as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly criticized European Council President António Costa for secretly opening back-channel communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to multiple EU officials familiar with the matter, Costa's chief of staff Pedro Lourtie held direct phone calls with senior Russian figures to explore possible Ukraine peace talks — bypassing the established EU diplomatic channels that require consultation with all 27 member states. The move sparked immediate fury among EU capitals, with Macron and Merz both expressing sharp displeasure that such consequential outreach to the Kremlin was conducted without coordination. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda publicly defended Costa's diplomatic initiative, arguing that keeping channels open with Moscow is essential to prevent further escalation, creating a visible split at the highest levels of European leadership. The episode exposed deep fault lines within the EU over how — and through whom — to engage Russia as Western leaders struggle to define a coherent peace strategy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov seized on the controversy, releasing a hostile essay accusing Europe of re-arming for a conflict by 2030 and warning that any NATO-Russia confrontation could quickly escalate to nuclear strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine's readiness to negotiate — but pressed European allies to maintain unity and pressure.

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