According to the agency, Markus Ederer called the union’s position on Russia “outdated and too focused on the conflict with Ukraine”
The head of the European Union mission in Moscow, Markus Ederer, held a meeting with EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrel on Monday in preparation for the EU summit on March 25-26, which will focus on relations with Russia. During the conversation, Ederer suggested revising the strategy applied by the EU towards Moscow. This was reported by Bloomberg on Saturday, citing sources.
According to its reports, Ederer called the union’s position on Russia “outdated and too focused on the conflict with Ukraine”. He recommended that EU diplomats, who were also present at the meeting, develop a new approach.
EU foreign policy spokeswoman Nabila Massrali declined to comment on the topics discussed during the meeting. She said the participants agreed “on the continued relevance of adhering to the five guiding principles (among which meeting all the conditions of the Minsk agreements, establishing close contacts with the former Soviet republics, combating threats from Russia, and selective cooperation on some issues) as well as a broader approach of resistance, containment and cooperation with Russia if necessary,” the agency reported.
Most EU member states, including Germany, the Baltics and much of Eastern Europe, are in favour of maintaining existing principles, according to diplomatic records obtained by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg notes that at a meeting of EU post envoys on Wednesday, some EU members suggested identifying areas of selective cooperation with Moscow that leaders would discuss at the upcoming summit. Italy suggested “economic cooperation and regional conflicts” as possible options. According to Germany, one of the topics could be combating climate change. Germany also supported a “coordinated transatlantic approach”. A number of countries, including Poland, Estonia and Lithuania, advocate a tougher stance with Russia. In particular, they insist on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements as a prerequisite for any change. For its part, Cyprus has requested an analysis of the effectiveness of the anti-Russian sanctions.
The agency’s sources noted that the positions of the EU members are very different, so it is unclear whether they will be able to form a common strategy.