EU tests back-channel diplomacy with Moscow on Ukraine talks

Brussels has opened informal channels with the Kremlin to explore potential negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, with Pedro Lourtie, Costa’s chief of staff, speaking to a Kremlin-linked official. While some EU capitals have floated engaging Putin, others remain wary that the bloc is not a mediator. Any talks would hinge on Russia accepting Western positions and would likely occur at the foreign-ministry or back-channel level; the US-led effort has stalled as priorities shift, with back-channel discussions also weighing new formats for engagement.