Estonia Warns Against EU Outreach to Kremlin

European Council President António Costa’s efforts to open diplomatic channels with the Kremlin could undermine the European Union’s support for Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Politico after the first day of the summit in Brussels.

Michal was responding to confirmation that Costa’s chief of staff, Pedro Lourtie, had contacted a senior Russian official.

According to the Estonian prime minister, Russia continues to reject any realistic path to peace, and any diplomatic effort must be led by Kyiv.

“The European Union cannot assume the role of mediator in these negotiations”, Michal warned.

He argued that such a move would limit the EU’s ability to maintain pressure on Russia. History, he said, offers clear warnings against alternative negotiating frameworks with dictators, which often leave democratic countries negotiating concessions among themselves while the dictator exploits their divisions.

EU officials insist the contact was fully within Costa’s mandate, coordinated with member states and Ukraine, and intended only to establish a communication channel to defend the bloc’s interests, not to conduct negotiations.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said publicly that Costa is the only figure who can represent the Union and that the EU should send him directly to Moscow.

“Rushed diplomacy rarely produces lasting results; more often, it produces bad ones,” Michal concluded.

(max)