EU rift widens after Costa aide’s Kremlin outreach goes unseen by several capitals

European Council President António Costa’s chief of staff Pedro Lourtie reportedly made two calls to Moscow to explore restarting talks with Putin, but several governments were not informed, triggering anger especially among Baltic states. The episode has reignited a debate over who should conduct future diplomacy with Russia—EU institutions or coordinated formats like the E3—with some capitals pushing for a unified approach aligned with Kyiv and Washington, while others oppose unilateral talks. Lourtie said the outreach followed Zelenskyy’s request and pledged to inform ambassadors of any future calls; no additional contacts have been confirmed yet.