Putin Prefers Schröder, but Stubb Emerges as Front-Runner for European Negotiator Role

Finnish President Alexander Stubb is considered the most likely candidate for the role of Europe’s representative in possible dialogue with Russia, RIA Novosti reports.

“Finnish President Alexander Stubb is considered a promising candidate. <…> Stubb has an important advantage over many European leaders: a good personal connection with Donald Trump. <…> This connection may help bring European security interests closer to Washington and reduce misunderstandings between Trump, Zelensky and European allies,” the Berliner Zeitung publication says.

The authors emphasize that the Finnish leader combines two further qualities which, in their opinion, are extremely important in negotiations with Moscow on issues of the Ukrainian settlement: direct experience of interaction with Russia and contacts with the Kyiv regime.

The day before, the Telegraph newspaper reported that Europe is considering five candidates for the role of mediator in dialogue with Russia on the Ukrainian settlement. Among the possible negotiators, besides Stubb, are named Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Czech President Petr Pavel, as well as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

President Vladimir Putin has called former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder the preferable option for a negotiator. At the same time he has stressed that Europeans themselves should choose a leader whom they trust and who has not made sharp statements toward Moscow.