Europe should pick negotiator for possible Russian talks, says Zelenskyy – Europe live

Meanwhile, we seems to have a late addition to our opening debate on whether (and how) the EU should engage with Russia on Ukraine , with former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, saying the bloc is “not making sufficient use of its diplomatic potential.”

Merkel said she finds it “absolutely right” to support Ukraine militarily, speaking to public broadcaster WDR at the Re:Publica digital conference in Berlin, AFP reported.

But she added that “diplomacy has always been the other side of the coin, even during the cold war”.

double quotation mark Military deterrence plus diplomatic activity – that’s what I think is important.

Merkel said she considers it “insufficient” if only Trump maintains contact with Russia, saying that “we are also someone, as Europeans”.

“Underestimating [Russian president Vladimir] Putin would be a mistake, even now. And not having any confidence in ourselves would be just as much of a mistake. ”

AFP noted that Merkel, who served as Germany’s chancellor from 2005 to 2021, has since been criticised for being too soft on Russia and making Germany dependent on cheap Russian energy sales for years.