Dmitry Medvedev said that the European Union has still not been invited to the talks on Ukraine and rejected the possibility of Kaja Kallas representing the bloc at them. The Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council commented on the issue after Kallas said that she was ready to be Europe’s representative.
“No one wants her—not because she is a strong negotiator, but because she is stupid,” Medvedev wrote on the MAX platform. He added that “no one has invited” the European Union to the talks on resolving the conflict.
Kallas said that Europe must have its own voice
Kaja Kallas made the statement in Dublin, where European leaders were discussing Europe’s participation in future talks on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. She said she was ready to represent the EU and that the Russians did not want her presence because they preferred to determine the composition of the other side themselves.
Kallas stressed that the EU does not tell Russia whom to include in its delegation. According to her, European representatives should not simply attend the talks, but participate in making the decisions.
She also said that the process should begin with a ceasefire, followed by a peace agreement. Only after that, according to Kallas, should the broader security architecture in Europe be discussed.
European participation remains subject to negotiations
The question of who will represent Europe has still not been decided. Among the names under discussion are European Council President António Costa and Kaja Kallas, while the option of the European side being represented by several countries is also being considered.
According to Vedomosti, US negotiator Jared Kushner said that European representatives would be included in the next round of talks. This differs from Medvedev’s claim that the EU has not yet received an invitation, indicating that the format and composition of the future talks have not been finalized.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that European participation was possible if European countries were ready to contribute to the process. Meanwhile, European governments continue to discuss their common position and the choice of representative.
Sources: vedomosti.ru, amp.dw.com, apnews.com