Costa’s Kremlin outreach splits EU leaders at Brussels summit
Why it matters: The dispute highlights how the EU remains divided over whether to test direct contacts with Moscow as the Ukraine war drags on.
European Council President Antonio Costa’s effort to open a channel to the Kremlin exposed sharp divisions among EU leaders meeting in Brussels. An EU official said a senior aide to Costa made brief contacts with the Kremlin in recent weeks to establish communication. Several leaders criticized the move as uncoordinated and argued the bloc should keep increasing pressure on Russia instead. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were not enthusiastic, while Nordic and Baltic countries were the most alarmed, people familiar with the talks said. Others backed the step, with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin saying opening a channel was not a mistake. The clash comes as the EU debates how, or whether, it should play a direct role in any future talks on Ukraine.