Stubb agrees EU must start dialogue with Russia, but mediator still unknown

ROME, May 11. /TASS/. It is time for Europe to start negotiations with Russia on its own, with European leaders discussing who the intermediary will be, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told the newspaper Corriere della Sera. "Yes, it's time to start negotiations with Russia. I don't know when that will happen. We discussed this issue with European leaders who will establish contact, but we don't know yet," he said. "If US policy towards Russia and Ukraine does not serve Europe's interests, then we ourselves must engage in direct talks," the Finnish president said. In his opinion, the most important thing is the coordination of all actions among Europeans, especially between the E5 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Poland), and the Nordic and Baltic states on the border. "Whether it will be a special envoy or a group of leaders, we'll see," he added. Putin said on May 9, answering journalists’ questions, that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is the preferred candidate for possible negotiations between the EU and Russia. At the same time, he allowed that the Europeans themselves could choose "a leader whom they trust and who has not spoken ill" towards Russia, the Russian leader added. Some European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have previously spoken in favor of appointing an EU special envoy for Ukraine, and Stubb was mentioned among possible candidates.