EU must be prepared to replace US in peace talks with Russia – European Council president

17.03.2026 16:08

Ukrinform

The European Union must be prepared to take over negotiations with Russia on security and peace in Ukraine if necessary, although that moment has not yet come and pressure on Moscow must continue, European Council President Antonio Costa said.

He made the remarks in an interview with EFE, Ukrinform reports.

Now we must avoid disrupting the efforts led by President Trump to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," Costa said, responding to a call by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to normalize relations with Moscow in order to secure cheaper energy supplies.

According to Costa, the EU's 27 member states "must be prepared" if the dialogue to end the war, currently led by Trump, fails to deliver the desired results.

"For the moment, our main contribution is to increase economic pressure on Russia and continue supporting Ukraine by all means. But, of course, there may come a time when we have to replace President Trump's efforts and make our own efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," he said.

At the same time, Costa does not expect De Wever's proposal to be discussed at the summit of European leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

"The European Union's strategy is clear: to decouple from Russian energy . It's not about negotiating energy prices with Russia," Costa said.

As reported, Bart De Wever has called on EU member states to authorize the bloc to negotiate with Russia, arguing that efforts to force Moscow to abandon its war against Ukraine have so far failed.