EU leaders squabble over outreach to Moscow as Ukraine war rages on

BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� European Union leaders have been unable to agree on setting up a to ensure that the bloc鈥檚 interests are protected should progress be made in negotiations to end Russia鈥檚 , some of them said on Friday.

European Council President Ant贸nio Costa, who chaired their two-day summit, had directed his office to reach out to the Kremlin and proposed a senior official to make contact. Costa said his aim was not to mediate or set up a parallel negotiating track to the one led by the United States, which is making .

Debate has been swirling around Europe in recent months about whether to appoint a mediator for talks with Russia to help get things moving again, but this has been largely rejected as many believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be unlikely to negotiate anyway.

Instead, the 27 EU countries have focused on that Russia should make to secure peace.

Speaking to reporters, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babi拧 said the leaders had failed to resolve their differences over the approach overnight. 鈥淓urope is unable to agree even on whether there will be negotiations or who will lead them,鈥� he said.

Irish Prime Minister Miche谩l Martin said that 鈥渙pening up a channel is not a mistake in our view, and I trust Ant贸nio Costa.鈥�

鈥淲hat was very clear last evening is that any negotiations would have to be first and foremost between Ukraine and Russia, but there are no indications that Russia is coming to the table at all,鈥� he said.

Putin has tried to cut out Europe and Kyiv from its negotiations with the United States over Ukraine鈥檚 future. But the Kremlin said Friday that it would be open for talks with Europe if it abandons its desire to talk to Moscow from the position of force.

鈥淲e are ready for contact, we were not the ones who initiated cutting such contacts, terminating them completely,鈥� said spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. 鈥淚f forces emerge that realize the need to resume dialogue with Russia, not to lecturing it or, worse, to issue ultimatums … then President Putin and the Russian side would certainly be open to it.鈥�

As the leaders left their meeting overnight, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever joked that Costa would be the envoy to Moscow.

鈥淚 was just talking about you, Ant贸nio,鈥� De Wever said while laughing and shaking Costa鈥檚 hand. 鈥淚 was full of praise, saying you are the only one who can represent us and that we will send you to Moscow.鈥�

Margus Tsahkna, foreign minister of Estonia 鈥� a nation on the EU鈥檚 eastern flank that has faced drone incursions and was once occupied by the Soviet Union 鈥� said that 鈥淓urope must not assume the role of a neutral mediator鈥� and instead buttress Ukraine鈥檚 position to 鈥渇orce the Kremlin into serious negotiations.鈥�

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Associated Press writers Karel Janicek and Stanislav Hodin in Prague, Czech Republic contributed to this report.