Kristersson: Risk that countries might act alone regarding Ukraine
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson agrees with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Europe should appoint a common representative for peace negotiations. However, he is not putting himself forward as a candidate.
“I fully agree with him on the substance of this,” Kristersson told TT after participating in a meeting between Zelenskyy and Nordic leaders in Copenhagen.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader remarked during a talk before an audience at the University of Copenhagen that Europe “cannot have 40 people talking to Putin.” This call comes as tripartite talks—involving Russia and Ukraine, with the United States acting as a mediator—are underway in Abu Dhabi.
For his part, the Prime Minister sees clear risks if there is a failure to agree on a single individual who can speak on behalf of Europe.
“It is quite obvious that there is a certain risk of many different countries starting to represent themselves—or Europe—in direct contact with Russia,” Kristersson says, adding:
“The more Europe speaks with a unified voice, the better.”
At the same time, he describes the process of finding such a representative as “easier said than done,” noting that there are several issues to sort out—including the fact that not all European countries are members of the EU.
Are you a candidate?
“No, I am not.” Fundamentally, it must be either one of the truly major European nations—which also command authority vis-à-vis both the United States and Russia—or an individual capable of speaking on behalf of all EU countries.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar