Putin rejects Europe as mediator in talks and names his own candidate
Vladimir Putin, Kremlin leader (photo: Getty Images)
Putin has denied Europe a role as mediator in negotiations and named what, in his opinion, the Union should do, according to Bloomberg.
Why can Europe not be a mediator?
At a meeting with foreign journalists in St. Petersburg, Putin stated that EU countries cannot act as neutral mediators because they themselves are supplying weapons to Ukraine.
According to him, Europe's role is to convince Kyiv to agree to compromises, not to participate in the negotiations.
"How can the European Union or individual EU countries serve as mediators when they are directly assisting the country with which we are in an armed conflict? How can they be mediators? Mediation implies neutrality," he said.
Who could conduct the negotiations?
Putin once again mentioned former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a possible European representative in the negotiations.
"He is not a friend of Putin. He is a German statesman, one of the best in my opinion," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy called on Putin for a direct meeting and proposed setting a specific date for negotiations involving both Europe and the US.
Putin's threats regarding the Oreshnik came after he already acknowledged the missile strike on occupied Donbas and called it important, although initially he tried to present it as planned tests rather than a loss of a missile.
Separately, Putin laid out his peace formula with Ukraine – he is unconditionally ready for negotiations, but only on the basis of agreements with Trump in Alaska. At the same time, the dictator boasted about the Russian air defense system, which Ukraine does not have, although on the same day, Ukrainian drones attacked St. Petersburg, where he was speaking.
