Overview
- The contacts were disclosed in mid‑June and Costa’s office confirmed on June 18–19 that they were short calls meant only to open a communication channel and did not include substantive negotiations.
- Portugal’s European Council president authorized the outreach through a senior aide, reportedly chief of staff Pedro Lourtie, who placed two calls to senior Russian officials to establish a direct line.
- France and Germany publicly criticized the move at the Brussels summit, saying Costa should not act alone to mediate and that major powers such as the E3 should lead any future negotiations.
- Several other member states including Spain, Ireland and Slovakia defended opening a channel as a way to protect EU interests and to reduce the risk of escalation from incidents such as airspace violations.
- No formal talks have started and the row has left unresolved questions about internal notification, the European Council’s role versus the Commission and EEAS, and how the EU can balance support for Ukraine with crisis communication to Russia.