EU ‘working on' restoring dialogue with Russia
The EU is preparing to resume direct contact with Russia, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar has claimed, citing a recent conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a visit to Brussels.
In an interview published Monday in Politico's Brussels Playbook newsletter, Musar suggested that the bloc should appoint a group of 'wise men and women' to initiate 'silent' diplomacy with Russia as a first step towards restoring direct dialogue.
She claimed that she had raised the issue directly with von der Leyen, who reportedly responded that 'they are working on that.' The claims have not been confirmed by von der Leyen herself.
The EU has severed most ties with Russia and imposed sweeping sanctions since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Musar, however, stated that cutting off communication with Moscow was one of the EU's biggest 'mistakes,' arguing that a refusal to engage with Russia – as well as with member states such as Hungary and Slovakia – has weakened the EU's political standing. Instead, she insisted that the bloc must focus on being invited to future negotiations alongside the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
According to Musar, dialogue with Moscow remains necessary even if Ukraine peace talks have 'not yet' produced results, while insisting that the EU pursue 'dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.'
The Slovenian president also raised concern over the EU's increasing military spending, stressing that these efforts should not come at the expense of social protection. 'Every single country needs to be careful in that, not to minimize the social warfare,' Musar said, adding that people were 'afraid' of sacrificing social programs for military spending.
In recent months, a number of EU states such as France, Germany, and Belgium have announced cuts to spending on social support programs, citing budget deficits and rising debt.
At the same time, EU ambassadors approved a €150 billion ($169 billion) debt program last week to provide for the bloc's ongoing militarization efforts. The agreement will allow member states to bypass standard voting procedures in the European Parliament in order to take out low-interest debt to spend on military equipment. Some EU states have reportedly indicated they could use the program to provide additional military assistance to Kiev.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the bloc's increasing militarization and warned that the EU's military spending hikes amount to an 'incitement of war' in Europe.
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