Politico: Europe fears worsening its position in talks with Ukraine.
A number of European leaders criticized Staub and Storr for "undermining European unity in relations with the Russian president. The question of whether and how to conduct a dialogue with Putin is "painful" for supporters of Ukraine in the European Union and beyond, Politico writes.
One official called it a bad idea to allow each country to start its own negotiations with Moscow. An Italian government source said that individual national initiatives and ever-changing diplomatic formats could further weaken Europe's influence, and that Stubbs and Storr's call to Putin "revealed the inability to agree on who would represent the region." ".
At the same time, Brussels' response to the Norwegian-Finnish activity has so far been restrained, although it "indicates the delicacy of the issue. "We note this call, which took place bilaterally only," said European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho.