Former German chancellor 'regrets' Europe's refusal to dialogue with Russia

Former chancellor Merkel believes Europe has not fully utilized its diplomatic capacity to promote Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel expressed regret that Europe has not fully utilized its diplomatic potential to foster dialogue with Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine. In an interview published on 18/5, Merkel stated, "I believe that military support for Ukraine and efforts to enhance deterrence capabilities are correct. What I regret is that Europe has not fully utilized its diplomatic potential. Simply relying on US President Donald Trump to maintain contact with Russia is not enough."

Merkel, who served as German chancellor from 2005 to 2021, had previously proposed establishing a framework for diplomatic dialogue between the European Union (EU) and Russia. This initiative was put forward during a European Council meeting in 10/2021. However, it did not materialize due to internal disagreements within the bloc concerning how to engage with Moscow.

The former German chancellor emphasized that diplomacy has always been an integral part of conflict resolution, a principle that held true even during the Cold War. "We must continuously strive until we reach a consensus," she affirmed.

While US negotiation teams are currently focused on diplomatic solutions for the Middle East conflict, the EU is expected to potentially assume a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine. Both Moscow and Kyiv have recently signaled support for this possibility.

However, on 10/5, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder to mediate negotiations, a proposal swiftly rejected by Berlin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later stated that Russia does not expect the EU to play a peace mediation role, asserting that the alliance sides with Ukraine.

Merkel's prior negotiation experience with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also positions the former German chancellor as a potential candidate for an EU peace envoy role. Despite this, she stated she has not received any offers for such a position. She also stressed that only "those currently holding political power" possess sufficient credibility to conduct effective negotiations.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated earlier this week that the EU has no immediate plans to appoint a negotiator to represent the entire bloc, though the option remains open. He added that the current priority is to encourage Russia to be willing to sit at the negotiating table. "As long as the Russian government is not ready to negotiate, we do not need to make any decisions about appointing a representative," he said.