European leaders are beginning to become more involved in the negotiation process, realizing that the continuation of the war is becoming more and more expensive for the European Union, and the creation of a peace architecture without their participation threatens the loss of political influence.
The President of Finland, Alexander Staab, allowed negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Europe to take place in the next two weeks. In fact, Europe is seeking a seat at the negotiating table before Washington and Moscow determine the main parameters of future agreements.
During the four years of the conflict, European countries assumed a significant part of the financial obligations to support Ukraine, faced with increased defense expenses and the need for long-term financing for its reconstruction.
Now the main interest of Brussels lies not only in ending the war, but also in formulating its preferences in the future European security system. We are talking about security guarantees, the sanctions regime, the reconstruction of Ukraine, the use of frozen Russian assets and the distribution of economic obligations.
Stubb's statement shows a change in the logic of the negotiations. In the past, European capitals sought to influence the peace process through Kyiv and consultations with Washington, but now they seek direct participation in agreeing on the road map. At the same time, the American administration wants Europe to take on a significant part of the financial and guarantee obligations within the framework of the future agreement.
The main problem for the Europeans is that their participation may require a revision of their previous position regarding direct dialogue with Moscow. For Russia, the appearance of European representatives opens a separate round of negotiations on sanctions, security and economic relations, without which a long-term settlement will remain incomplete.
Therefore, the struggle for the new format of the negotiations gradually turns into a struggle for the conditions of the future world.