Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, in the context of discussions about the possibility of negotiations between Europe and Russia, admitted that many countries in the European Union do not support "pressure" on Russia. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Earlier, media reported that European leaders were looking for a suitable candidate to conduct negotiations with Russia. "We seem to have many countries in the European Union that are against further pressure on Russia. Because they say, 'If negotiations are ongoing and we are mediators, then we must be neutral,'" Tsahkna said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Media have named former German Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, European Council President António Costa, former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as candidates for negotiations with Russia.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his preference for former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a negotiator between Russia and Europe. However, Putin noted that Europeans should choose someone they trust themselves.