A German official said on Wednesday that a window for dialogue between Russia and Europe on Ukraine is slowly opening, and it is essential to create a format that is as effective as possible while also being perceived by Europeans as legitimate.
The official added that there are strong indications that the E3 Group, which means Germany, France and Britain, will continue to play an important role in this regard.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeRussian advances have slowed this year, and Ukrainian troops are increasing pressure on the battlefield and through an intensified campaign of long-range strikes inside Russia, including in St. Petersburg on Wednesday ahead of President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forum.
The Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that reaching an agreement to end the war by winter was a "realistic" outcome.
The German official said that the recent fighting showed that the dialogue process was likely to last months, rather than weeks, and that it was essential to ensure that they were conducted in full agreement with Ukraine.
Coordination, rather than competition, with the United States, whose brokered talks have stalled as Washington focuses on Iran, should also remain a guiding principle, the official said.
German and European governments have rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow.