Finnish MP Calls for EU Envoy to Open Direct Talks With Russia

Overview

• Foreign affairs committee chair Johannes Koskinen urged EU countries to choose a representative for direct dialogue with Moscow on a Ukraine settlement.
• Koskinen said a designated figure could gather member views and act as a mediator to shape a common EU stance, while naming no candidate for the role.
• Former Finnish president Sauli Niinistö told Yle that Europe has “disappeared” from the quartet of great powers and should engage Russia directly as President Donald Trump does.
• Reporting notes Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed by phone to meet in Budapest on October 16, with the summit later postponed until conditions allow progress.
• Russian reactions highlighted European divisions, with senator Alexei Pushkov citing diminished EU influence and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserting Europeans and Kyiv show no willingness to negotiate.