In a parliamentary address on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the EU to establish high-level talks with Vladimir Putin: “In my opinion, we as the European Union must also seek direct contact with Russia and the Russian president.” EU leaders will meet in Brussels later today to discuss relations with Russia. “It is not enough for U.S. President Joe Biden to talk to the Russian president — I very much welcome that — but the European Union must also create formats for talks here,” she added, referencing Biden’s recent one-on-one meeting with Putin in Geneva. “There is no other way to resolve conflicts.”
The chancellor’s comments were related to a Franco-German offer to Putin that was unveiled to EU partners on Wednesday, suggesting that the EU should endorse both the threat of new economic sanctions against Moscow while also signalling openness to a summit with Putin himself. The offer was immediately met with opposition from some EU countries, especially the three Baltic countries and Poland.
