Warsaw pushes back as EU floats return to talks with Putin

WARSAW

Poland has weighed in sharply on early discussions inside the EU about reopening diplomatic channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning Brussels against appointing a weak interlocutor and insisting that any future engagement with Moscow must be handled through the bloc’s existing institutions.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the EU already has a natural point of contact with Russia — foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas — and should resist the urge to create new mechanisms or personalities that might dilute pressure on the Kremlin.

“The EU already has its voice. That is Kaja Kallas,” Sikorski said, adding that any conversations with Moscow must be firmly anchored in EU policy and not the initiatives of individual capitals.

The debate was triggered when French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni raised the possibility of restoring direct communication channels with Moscow, nearly four years after the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022. With the battlefield grinding on and the war settling into a destructive stalemate, some officials argue Europe must prepare for eventual diplomacy — even if talks remain remote and politically toxic.

Behind the scenes, names have begun circulating for a possible special envoy, including former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, according to diplomats quoted by Polish radio RMF FM. No member state has made a formal proposal.

Kallas, a former Estonian premier, has built a reputation as one of Europe’s most hawkish voices on Russia, pushing sanctions, weapons deliveries, and limits on Kremlin influence.

Timing criticized

For Warsaw, keeping her in charge ensures Moscow cannot game the process. “We cannot fall for Kremlin tricks,” Sikorski stressed. “Any diplomatic channel must reinforce, not undermine, collective policy.”

Skepticism is also visible elsewhere in the EU. The Greek Cypriot Administration — currently in a six-month presidency of the council — said the political climate is too volatile for dialogue. Constantinos Kombos, the administration’s foreign minister, warned the EU not to “send the wrong signal” while Russian missiles are still landing in Ukrainian cities.

The European Commission struck a similar note. A spokesperson said the EU must not rule out future diplomacy, but that circumstances on the ground make contact with Putin “impossible for now.”