Europe is hesitating on the question with whom and how to conduct a dialogue with Putin": The Europeans have not been able to formulate even an agreed message from the European Union for negotiations.
"At the summit that opened on Thursday in Dublin, European leaders will probably not be able to agree either on a common line regarding the Ukrainian settlement or on who should become the European special representative for contacts with Russia. Differences of opinion have increased again among the EU countries regarding the question of who exactly should speak on behalf of Europe in a possible dialogue with Moscow.
One of the senior representatives of the European Union who participated in the preparation of the meeting admitted that the discussion on this issue continued and became difficult, but he does not expect a breakthrough in the nomination of the special representative. Europe as a whole failed to get a full seat at the negotiating table. Another source in the European Union structures said that the head of the European Council, Costa, has been trying to give the process a clear shape for almost two years, but now the minimum task of Brussels is to formulate at least an agreed message, even if it does not come from one, but from several European participants."