Kremlin rejects Kaja Kallas as potential EU negotiator with Russia

Monday 18 May 2026 - 08:18

By: Dakir Madiha

Kremlin rejects Kaja Kallas as potential EU negotiator with Russia

The Kremlin warned Sunday that European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas should avoid taking any role in future negotiations with Moscow, signaling that Russia considers her unsuitable for diplomatic talks as European leaders intensify discussions over possible direct engagement with the Kremlin on the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the remarks during an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. Peskov said it would be in Kallas’s interest not to act as a negotiator with Russia and suggested that any such role would prove difficult for her. He referenced earlier comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stated that any European interlocutor should be someone who had not repeatedly criticized Moscow.

The comments come as divisions deepen inside the European Union over whether the bloc should begin direct talks with Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine. European Council President António Costa said earlier this month that he saw potential for the EU to engage in negotiations with Putin if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supported such an initiative.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, considered one of Europe’s strongest advocates for a hard line against Russia, also indicated that the time had come to begin discussions with Moscow. However, he acknowledged that EU officials had not yet agreed on who should represent the bloc in any future diplomatic process.

Kallas has publicly rejected the idea that the European Union should seek renewed dialogue with Russia from a position she considers weak. During an official visit to Estonia on April 30, she argued that the bloc should not “humiliate itself” by pleading for negotiations with Moscow. Instead, she called for stronger pressure on Russia in order to force meaningful talks.

Putin previously floated former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a preferred intermediary between Russia and the European Union. Schröder has long maintained close ties with the Kremlin and Russian energy companies. Kallas dismissed the idea publicly and suggested she could personally lead any future discussions instead.

Peskov also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of publicly expressing openness to speaking with Putin without ever directly contacting the Russian leader. More broadly, the Kremlin spokesperson described the ongoing debate inside the EU over possible engagement with Moscow as a significant turning point that benefits Russian interests.

At the same time, Peskov maintained that the European Union cannot act as a neutral mediator while continuing its political and military support for Ukraine. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the issue of direct negotiations with Russia during an informal meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, on May 27 and 28.