Finland's Stubb urges Europe to step up and lead peace talks with Russia
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Europe should take the initiative in launching negotiations with Moscow to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung published on June 7.
The remarks come as U.S.-mediated peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow have remained effectively frozen since February, while Washington's attention has shifted to the war with Iran.
Stubb said Europe should coordinate closely with the United States on negotiations, but also assess whether Washington's policy toward Russia and Ukraine aligns with European interests.
"I believe we should talk to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," Stubb said.
The Finnish president also outlined a three-step approach for restarting diplomacy.
Stubb said the initiative should first come from the European Union. If that proves unsuccessful, responsibility should shift to the E3 — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. If neither format works, alternative mechanisms should be explored.
The proposal comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders in London on June 7 to discuss possible frameworks for talks.
Zelensky has consistently argued that Europe must have a seat at the negotiating table. On June 4, he published an open letter to Putin proposing that Ukraine and Russia continue direct bilateral talks and suggesting a leaders' meeting for negotiations to advance.
The Kremlin has recently signaled openness to a European role in diplomacy but proposed Gerhard Schroder as a potential mediator. Kyiv and European officials rejected the idea in May, citing Schroder's longstanding ties to Putin and Russia.
Putin later responded to Zelensky's letter during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 5, saying he "sees no point in meeting with Zelensky."
Major disagreements continue to block progress in negotiations.
Ukraine maintains that freezing the current front line is the most realistic basis for a ceasefire, while Moscow continues to demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Ukraine's Donbas as a precondition for any settlement, a proposal Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
