BRUSSELS, January 14. /TASS/. EU countries are discussing the possibility of appointing a special envoy for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, who could conduct dialogue with the Russian side on behalf of the community, Politico reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, the possibility of appointing an EU special envoy for the Ukrainian settlement was discussed at the EU leaders' summit in March 2025. At that time, the idea was for the envoy to participate in negotiations alongside the Ukrainian delegation. The initiative was not implemented.

In recent weeks, ideas about the need for dialogue with Russia have begun to be voiced in Europe, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking publicly about this. According to sources in the EU who spoke with Politico, the bloc has begun discussing the idea of appointing a special envoy again against this backdrop. The EU fears that it will not be able to defend its position without a seat at the negotiating table. The newspaper described this as an "unprecedented move that would mark a major shift in how Europe engages with the string of bilateral talks [on Ukraine] brokered by US President Donald Trump."

"Macron has been advocating in the last days that, in view of the bilateral discussions between the Americans and the Russians, it is important to play at least a role in the discussion. Meloni very much supported that. They’re not naive about what can be reached through these discussions, but on the balance between not engaging and engaging, there’s a growing appreciation [of the merits of engaging] in some capitals," an unnamed French official told Politico.

The newspaper noted that many details of this initiative remain hotly debated, including what rank the special envoy would have, who they would report to, whether the position would be formal or informal, and whether the envoy would represent only the EU or a "coalition of the willing" as well. Italy has proposed appointing former Prime Minister Mario Draghi to the position, and the EU has named Finnish President Alexander Stubb as a potential candidate. The advantage of appointing a sitting head of state is that he or she would be "a bit more free in what they say."

At the same time, European officials emphasized in conversations with Politico that the position of special envoy does not yet exist and that discussions about candidates for this role are premature.