Russia is the "first to show interest in involving" Europe in upcoming discussions about peace in Ukraine, according to José Manuel Barroso, the former head of the European Commission, who spoke to Euronews. a live interview scheduled for Friday morning , just hours following the conclusion of a summit involving the EU’s 27 leaders in Brussels.
"Mr. Putin stated it clearly: achieving peace requires the removal of sanctions that were imposed by the European Union," Barroso clarified.
Sooner or later, the European Union will arrive because there can be no peace without it. That’s quite evident.
Up until now, the EU has mostly been left out of the phone diplomacy among the leaders of the US, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as the technical discussions taking place between their respective teams in the Middle East.
France's Emmanuel Macron and the UK's Keir Starmer are assembling a group of aligned nations ready to contribute to a possible future truce and peace deal, though they haven't yet taken part in direct negotiations.
However, Barroso states that Russia will likely seek to discuss the removal of EU sanctions as part of any possible peace negotiations. Over the past three years, since the start of the conflict, the European Union has implemented sixteen exceptional sanction packages aimed at depleting Moscow’s resources for waging war.
Even though Hungary has voiced opposition multiple times, the group has consistently succeeded in persuading Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary to consent to increasing sanctions, a choice that necessitates the unanimous approval of all participating countries.
Last week, Budapest removed its objection to the proposal regarding the European Union funds distribution. renewal of sanctions aimed at prominent Russian individuals, following weeks of defiance.
"I was at the European Commission in 2014 when Mr. Orbán already disagreed with imposing sanctions on Russia. Nonetheless, despite his objections, the EU implemented 16 rounds of sanctions," Barroso clarified.
Leaders in Europe take action during crises.
The previous head of the Commission commented shortly after an EU leaders' summit concluded in Brussels. As anticipated, Hungary blocked the agreement's conclusion regarding Ukraine because of its disagreement with Kyiv joining the union and the European Union’s approach to 'strengthening peace' by significantly arming Ukraine as a deterrent against potential Russian aggression.
In the declaration approved at point 26, the group stated they were prepared to enforce additional penalties on the Kremlin.
Barroso refuted the notion that the EU’s cohesion was disintegrating, stating that it is "normal" to experience divisions. He also remarked with surprise that agreement among an impressive 26 member states across so many issues remains intact.
"Could you point out another part of the world where 26 nations concur on numerous issues like the members of the European Union do?" Barroso questioned.
The notion that the European Union can’t take action just because one or two nations hold differing views is entirely incorrect," he continued, elaborating that the EU’s founding agreements permit groups of member states to advance projects even in the absence of unanimous agreement.
Barroso additionally mentioned that the seriousness of the present geopolitical climate ensures that the EU will respond with actions. He pointed out Finland and Sweden joining NATO and modifications made to Germany’s debt cap as evident indications of their preparedness for extraordinary measures.
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