The EU is preparing for possible talks with Putin following Trump’s failure to achieve results

António Costa. Photo: AFP, EAST NEWS

EU leaders have begun discussing possible talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump has so far been unable to achieve a breakthrough on this issue.

This is reported by hromadske, citing the Financial Times.

European Council President António Costa stated that the EU has the «potential» to negotiate with Putin. According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also supports this idea.

António Costa said that during the EU summit in Cyprus in April 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly proposed that the European Union «make a positive contribution to the negotiations».

«I am speaking with the 27 leaders of the European Union to find the best way to organise ourselves and determine what we need to discuss with Russia when the time is right,» said the President of the European Council.

At the same time, he stressed that the EU would not stand in the way of Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts. Costa also acknowledged that the Kremlin had not yet shown any willingness to engage with EU representatives.

According to the publication, the Office of the President of Ukraine believes that Kyiv needs «greater coordination at the European level». One of the FT’s sources stated that ending the war might require «a leader who will speak to Russia on behalf of all Europeans».

However, there is as yet no common position among the 27 EU countries on who exactly could represent the European Union in potential negotiations with Vladimir Putin.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Yurii Ushakov stated that trilateral talks involving the US, Ukraine and Russia are currently «inappropriate» until Kyiv withdraws Ukrainian troops from the part of Donbas under its control.