The proposal, raised by Putin over the weekend as he signaled openness to discussing postwar security arrangements in Europe, was swiftly dismissed by EU officials who questioned both Russia’s intentions and Schroeder’s neutrality because of his longstanding ties to the Kremlin and Russian state energy companies.
“We would not be very wise to allow Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf,” Kaja Kallas told reporters during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Kallas said Schroeder’s close relationship with Putin made him unsuitable for any mediating role, adding that Moscow had shown no evidence it was prepared to engage sincerely in peace or security negotiations linked to the war in Ukraine.

Germany’s Europe minister, Gunther Krichbaum, also rejected the suggestion, saying Schroeder could not be considered an “honest broker” because of his political and business connections to Russia.

Schroeder, who served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has maintained close personal ties with Putin and previously held senior roles in Russian state-controlled energy firms, relationships that have drawn sustained criticism across Europe since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha similarly dismissed any role for Schroeder but said European governments could participate in negotiations complementary to ongoing U.S.-led diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.

A source familiar with the discussions said Sybiha proposed that European officials help mediate a narrower agreement between Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on each other’s airports, describing the initiative as a more achievable objective than a comprehensive settlement to end the war.

The discussions reflect growing debate inside the EU over whether the bloc should eventually establish direct diplomatic channels with Moscow after more than four years of political isolation and sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion.

Antonio Costa said last week he had begun consultations with European leaders on how the bloc should organize itself for possible future talks with Russia when conditions become appropriate.

Several ministers, however, argued the EU should intensify economic and political pressure on Moscow before considering formal negotiations or appointing any envoy.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the immediate priority should be strengthening the bloc’s leverage against Russia rather than selecting mediators.

Austria’s foreign minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, said the EU should prepare to become more directly engaged in diplomacy with Moscow, while stressing that decisions on representation would be made by European governments, not Russia.

“We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals,” Sybiha told reporters on Tuesday in comments cleared for release on Wednesday, indicating that Ukraine is seeking a neutral venue outside Russia and its close ally Belarus.

Sybiha said Kyiv would consider any location except Belarus or Russia for such a meeting, underscoring longstanding Ukrainian objections to holding talks in countries aligned with Moscow.

Belarus facilitated Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by allowing its territory to be used as a staging ground, a factor that has made it unacceptable to Kyiv as a diplomatic venue.

The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly called for direct talks between Zelensky and Putin as a potential means to accelerate efforts toward a resolution of the conflict.

However, the Kremlin has previously stated that it is willing to host Zelensky in Moscow, a proposal the Ukrainian president has rejected.

Sybiha did not disclose Ankara’s response to the request but emphasized that Ukraine remains open to alternatives. “If another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organizes such a meeting, we will go,” he said.

Turkiye has previously positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict, maintaining diplomatic ties with both Kyiv and Moscow while hosting earlier rounds of negotiations.

Separately, Sybiha said he had exchanged written messages with Anita Orban, who is set to become Hungary’s foreign minister following the recent election victory of a new government in Budapest.