European Council President Antonio Costa has opened contacts with the Kremlin to
press President Putin to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, people
familiar with the matter said. Costa's chief adviser held two calls with a
senior Russian official close to Putin to lay groundwork for future substantive
talks. Costa said last month that at an appropriate time Europe needs dialogue
with Russia to address shared security issues. Germany, France and the UK have
separately discussed coordinating with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy to
encourage Putin to enter peace negotiations. European officials said Russia's
stalled battlefield advances, intensified Ukrainian strikes into Russian
territory and rising war-related economic costs may create an opening. A senior
EU official said as the conflict enters a new phase, European capitals are
aligning positions and preparing for increased communication with the Kremlin.
